Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper
by Tang Ri Shan
Summary: After losing both her parents in a car accident, Natalie Pope is sent to stay with relatives in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. When her two cousins, Jack and Annie, discover a mysterious tree house in the woods, Natalie is called upon by Merlin the Magician to protect her cousins as the tree house takes them on adventures through time. Based on the Magic Tree House Book Series
1. Dinosaurs Before Dark

Tang Ri Shan

 **Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

 **Dinosaurs before Dark**

"Natalie? Where are you going?" A voice called from inside the house as 12 year old Natalie Pope stepped out through the screen door.

"Just out for a walk, Aunt Mary" Natalie called back through the screen door. The sun was about to set, and the trees and houses were already casting shadows on the street.

"Don't go too far" Her aunt called out.

"I won't" Natalie said as she left the yard and started walking down the street.

As she walked, her heart ached and her eyes began to water. Reaching inside her shirt, she pulled out a small golden locket on a chain and opened it.

A face of a young man and woman smiled up at her from each wing. Natalie ran her finger over the woman's face. "Mom" She whispered, feeling tears flow down her face. Natalie's mother looked very similar to her, the same heart-shaped face, the same thin eyebrows, and the same cute nose.

Blinking through her tears, Natalie turned to look at the lid of the locket, where the young man's picture smiled up at her. "Dad" She whispered, her voice choked with pain. Her father had the same jade green eyes and the same dark red hair that Natalie had.

"I still can't believe you're both gone!" Natalie sobbed, clutching the locket to her chest as more memories flashed through her head. Memories of her former life living in Chicago, growing up as the daughter of two college professors, her father taught history, her mother taught mythology. She remembered old school friends, of playing with her three dogs, Silver, Shadow, and Sunshine, of watching documentaries with her father and listening to her mother tell her stories while braiding her hair.

Yes, Natalie's life had been perfect, until a month ago, when a terrible accident had changed everything. Natalie could still remember that night, despite her best attempts to forget it; she remembered her parent's laughter as they were driving home. She remembered the large truck that had appeared out nowhere, the horn blaring. She remembered her father yelling, her mother screaming, the brakes squealing, and the car spinning, and then silence.

Natalie rubbed her wrist as she walked, feeling the uneven ridge under her skin. A broken wrist; that was the worst injury she had gotten in the accident that had taken both her parents away from her. Natalie felt her eyes tearing up again.

 _No! Stop thinking like that!_ Natalie thought to herself, shaking her head and coming to a stop. _Dad always says that the past is in the past. We can learn from it, we can learn about it, but it does no good to live_ _ **in**_ _it! STOP CRYING!_

Natalie's eyes suddenly snapped open and she found herself breathing hard. She stared down at her locket again, and felt her tears begin to return.

 _CRACK!_

"Huh?" Natalie glanced up as she heard something, a twig breaking. She glanced towards the woods. Had someone been watching her?

"Who's there?" Natalie called, wiping her tears away. No one answered her, but she saw a shadow dart behind a tree, a person-shaped shadow.

"I know you're there!" Natalie called. "I can see your shadow!"

The shadow moved again, but kept silent.

Natalie was starting to get angry. "Who are you? Answer me!" She yelled.

There was no reply.

Natalie frowned. It was probably her cousins playing a joke on her!

Because her father was an only child, and because her grandparents lived in a place where children were not allowed to stay longer than a month, after the accident Natalie had had to leave Chicago behind to go live with her mother's sister, her aunt Mary, and her husband William Osborne, in the small town of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.

Aunt Mary and Uncle William had two children of their own, Eight-and-a-half year old Jack and Seven-year-old Annie. Though they were younger than her, both of her cousins seemed to understand the trauma Natalie had gone through, and had done their best to make her feel at home.

Natalie was grateful that her aunt's family had welcomed her, but she still felt uncomfortable about living out here. In a small town like Frog Creek, everyone seemed to know each other, and they seemed to connect in a way that was unfamiliar to Natalie, which only made her feel even more like an outsider. At times, this upset Natalie greatly because she wanted to be a part of this new world, but she didn't know how.

The leaves of the nearby trees rustled, drawing Natalie out of her thoughts. She saw the shadow move again.

"Jack! Annie! That had better not be you!" Natalie warned, starting towards the woods.

As she approached the trees, she suddenly saw a figure bolt from behind a tree and move quickly into the woods.

"Hey! Come back here!" Natalie yelled, running after them.

Natalie plunged into the woods, dodging past tree trunks, hopping over logs and twisting around bushes, but when she rounded a large tree, she stopped.

The figure was gone!

Natalie cried out and planted a fist on the tree trunk. _Nuts! I lost them!_ She thought angrily.

Breathing heavily, she looked around. Beams of golden late-afternoon light streamed through the treetops to light up sections of the ground like spotlights, and shadows were everywhere. The air felt cooler in here, and it seemed…calm.

Natalie felt her anger begin to leave her. It was peaceful in here. A bird twittered in the branches overhead and another one answered nearby.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and caressed the skin on Natalie's cheek softly, kind of like the way her mother used to.

Natalie felt a smile cross her face. Her mother used to read her stories about the forest, and how it was full of magic. She had always believed it was true. Natalie raised her head, enjoying the breeze and stepped away from the tree into one of the beams of sunlight. _You were right, mom_ , she thought. _There is something magical about the woods_. She tilted her head back farther.

 _What was that?_ Natalie paused as a faint glint caught her eye and she turned to get a better look. Something shiny was lying at the base of a nearby bush. Natalie bent down to get a better look, and her eyes widened, it was a ring!

"Wow" Natalie whispered.

The ring was simple in appearance, a small blue stone set into a shiny metal band. But as Natalie stared at it, it seemed to shimmer and twinkle in the late evening light.

Natalie wondered, just for a moment, how the ring would look on her, and her fingers began to move towards it.

 _Wait!_ Natalie thought, jerking her hand back. _What am I thinking? This ring isn't mine!_ She thought. Suddenly feeling guilty, Natalie raised her head and looked around, but didn't see anyone nearby.

 _Maybe…_ Natalie thought, _maybe I should just…hang onto it for a while. See if anyone comes looking for it. If they do, I can always give it back. W_ ith that thought in her mind, Natalie reached out and plucked the ring from the ground.

"Weird" She said as she straightened up. "It feels warm" The ring _did_ feel warm, as if someone else had been wearing it recently. Again, Natalie looked around; half-expecting the owner to appear from behind a tree and demand it back, but there was no one in sight.

Natalie glanced down at it again, then at her ring finger. Before she could stop herself, Natalie slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. "Cool" Natalie said as she raised her hand up to get a better look at it.

Suddenly the blue stone seemed to flash in the late afternoon light and Natalie gasped as a second light, like a camera flash, filled her eyes for a split second.

 _What was that?_ Natalie blinked and shook her head to clear away the dazzling lights in her vision. She glanced around, searching for the source of the light, and then her eyes widened.

Across from her was a tall oak tree, and next to the tree, _was a long rope ladder!_

" _What the….?"_ Natalie whispered as her eyes followed the ladder all the way to the top of the tree, and her jaw dropped. There, nestled between two branches at the very top of the tree, was a tree house.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Natalie wondered as she crossed over to the tree and stood beneath it. She was certain that the rope ladder and the tree house had _not_ been there a minute ago. She grasped the rope ladder in her hands; it felt real enough to her.

 _I wonder whose it is._ Natalie thought. She stared up at the tree house, then at the rope ladder in her hands. _Well, I guess there's only one way to find out!_ She thought and started up the ladder.

As Natalie climbed, she felt a strange feeling come over her, like a cold wind was blowing down her shirt and jeans and against her bare skin. It felt strange, but she kept climbing.

The rope ladder ended at a hole in the floor of the tree house. Natalie poked her head through the hole, and her jaw dropped. The tree house was filled with _books!_

Books were everywhere! Some were stacked against the walls, while others lay in a small pile in the center. Some were large, some were small, and some were very old-looking with dusty covers, while others looked brand new, with shiny covers.

"Whoa!" Natalie said as she crawled through the hole and into the Tree House. "Jack would _love_ this place" Natalie chuckled as she recalled her cousin's love of books.

Natalie carefully made her way over the tree house window and looked out. _Wow! Look how far you can see from up here!_ She thought as she gazed out over the tops of the trees. In the distance, she could see the buildings of Frog Creek, the library, the elementary school and the park. Natalie squinted in the fading light. She thought she could even see what looked like a pair of dogs walking on the park's circular path alongside their owners.

Natalie glanced in the other direction and saw her uncle and aunt's house at the end of the nearby street, along with other houses. Natalie saw Henry, the big black dog next door trotting around his yard. He looked very tiny from up here.

"This is amazing" Natalie said as she glanced around the tree house and all the assorted books, and noticed many of them had bookmarks sticking out of them. _Where did all this come from?_ She wondered. Her eyes fell upon a particular book, white with a red cover and a red bookmark sticking out of it. It was a book on Pennsylvania.

Before she could stop herself, Natalie picked up the book and sat down next to the window. She flipped open the book to the page with the bookmark. _Hey!_ She thought. _This is a picture of Frog Creek woods!_

Natalie glanced out the window and back down at the picture in the book. Sure enough, the picture was almost an exact match, as if the photo had been taken from _this_ tree house.

"And the plot thickens" Natalie said as she placed the Pennsylvania book down and gazed out the window. Just then, a beam of sunlight shone through the window and fell upon the pile of books on the floor.

Natalie frowned. The place suddenly looked like a mess, like her father's office had been. Her father was not a very organized person. Shaking her head at the memory, Natalie absentmindedly began picking up books from the floor and sorting them into the various piles that lay stacked against the far wall. Her mother had taught her to be organized early on and she actually took pleasure in organizing her father's messy office, and enjoyed having him reward her for it.

"What the…?" Natalie paused with a book on castles in one hand and a book on dinosaurs in the other hand. Something on the bare wood of the floor had caught her attention, but she couldn't see anything now.

Natalie tilted her head a little. She was right! There was something shiny embedded in the floor.

She tipped her head a little more, and it came into better focus. The letter M! It seemed to shimmer in the late-afternoon sunlight.

 _What is this?_ Natalie thought as she set the two books down and touched the M with her fingers over the glowing letter. Her skin suddenly seemed to tingle and the ring on her finger seemed to glow with the same light as the M.

"Wow" Natalie whispered, awe-struck by the glowing letter. "I really wish I could meet the person that put this here" She traced her fingers over the M.

Suddenly the blue stone on the ring seemed to light up again. "Huh?" Natalie knelt over the letter to get a better look.

The letter suddenly flashed and to Natalie's amazement, her hand suddenly sank right through the floor. "What the…?" Natalie cried and tried to pull her hand back, bracing with the other hand, only for _that_ hand to sink through the floor as well! Now off balance, Natalie screamed as she fell forwards and fell right through the letter in the tree house floor.

WOOOOAAAHHHHHH!" Natalie screamed as she fell down into what she assumed was the inside of the tree. She kept screaming as farther and farther she fell, going faster and faster. Natalie glanced around as she fell and was surprised to see hundreds of books flashing past her.

"YIKES!" Natalie gasped as she glanced down and saw what looked like the ground rise up quickly to meet her. She curled up into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut.

"ARRRITEZZ MOMENTIO!" A loud voice called out and Natalie felt her body suddenly jerk to a stop and braced herself for the pain that was surely coming next, but she didn't feel any. She didn't even feel the ground beneath her.

Natalie eventually cracked open her eyes, and then widened them. _She was floating in the air just above the ground!_ As soon as she realized that, whatever was holding Natalie up suddenly disappeared and she fell to the ground with a thud.

"Ow!" Natalie gasped as she scrambled to her feet, rubbing her arm and her eyes widened as she looked around. She was standing in a round room lit with hundreds of candles, some attached to the walls, some hanging in lanterns, and _even some floating in the air!_

Natalie could not believe her eyes. The light from all those candles was shining on large shelves that stretched from where she was up into the darkness above, and these shelves contained hundreds of books and scrolls! Many of them looked ancient and dusty, like they hadn't been opened in years.

 _This can't be possible!_ Thought Natalie. _How could all this be inside that oak tree?_ The tree had not looked that big from the outside!

"Wh-what is this place, some kind of library?" Natalie gasped as she spun in circles, trying to take it all in.

"Indeed" Natalie froze as a deep whispery voice replied from behind her. Slowly, she turned around.

Facing her was a carved wooden chair, and sitting in that chair, staring intently at her, was an old man with a long white beard. He wore a long red cloak and a blue hat studded with white stars. In one hand, he gripped a large wooden staff with a metal tip.

"Oh" Natalie said, trying to recover from her shock. "H-hello sir, sorry to bother you. I'll just get out of…"

The man help up a hand, indicating Natalie should stop speaking, and then smiled at her. "That is quite alright young lady; there is no need to apologize." He said warmly. "Though I would like to know _how_ you managed to get in here." He added as he rose to his feet. "This is supposed to be a place that only I, or those who work for me, can enter"

"Umm…" Natalie bit her lip, avoiding looking at the man's eyes. There was something strange about them. "I'm not entirely sure _how_ I got in here sir. The last thing I remember was sitting in the tree house staring at the letter M carved into the floor, and I guess I just…fell through it" Natalie shrugged her shoulders, clearly aware of how ridiculous she sounded. But she didn't know what else to say.

"You just _fell_ through the M?" The man repeated, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"Uh huh" Natalie nodded, backing up a little as the man leaned down towards her. His eyes were now looking directly into hers and Natalie found that she couldn't look away, like she was hypnotized.

"What is your name?" The man asked.

"My name is Natalie" Natalie replied almost automatically.

"Natalie, I would like you to tell me everything that happened to you since you came into the woods this evening" The man said in a kind, but firm voice.

Being as brief as she could, Natalie described what had happened to her in the last hour, how she had chased a mysterious figure into the woods and had lost them and discovered the ring hidden beneath a bush, how she had put it on and then found the tree house. How she had climbed up into it and discovered it full of books and how she had found the M on the floor. How she had wished to meet the person who had put it there and ended up falling through the floor.

"I see" The man said when she was finished. "Well, that explains how you entered this place."

"I'm really sorry sir." Natalie bowed her head. "I didn't mean to come in without permission"

The man shook his head. "No. The fault is mine. I should have been more careful. I didn't even realize I had dropped my ring. "

" _Your_ ring?" Natalie gasped, her eyes darting to her hand where the ring gleamed softly in the candlelight. "So it was _you_ I saw watching me at the edge of the woods!"

The man nodded.

"But…why did you run away?" asked Natalie

The man gave a little chuckle. "Because in reality, I am not supposed to be here, and you might have given me away. I cannot allow anyone to know I am here"

Now Natalie raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand. Who are you?"

The man smiled mysteriously. "Who do you _think_ I am?"

Natalie paused and looked the man over. "Well, you look like some kind of sorcerer." In a weird way, it made sense. The man was certainly dressed like a wizard.

"I prefer the term 'Magician'" The man corrected. "But yes."

"And your hat…" Natalie stared at the star-studded hat. "I've read a lot of stories about magic and the only wizard I know of with a hat like that is…" Natalie stopped talking as she realized what she was about to say.

"Go on" The man said.

"No" Natalie shook her head, feeling very silly. "No. That's impossible."

"Is it?" The man smiled again, and motioned for Natalie to speak

Natalie took a deep breath. "The only wizard I know of with a hat like that is… Merlin!" She blurted out, then looked down, expecting to hear laughter.

When the man didn't laugh, Natalie looked up. He was smiling at her and Natalie saw his eyes twinkle. Then, as Natalie stared at him, he slowly nodded.

Natalie felt her eyes widen. "Are you…?" She said softly

The man nodded again. "I _am_ Merlin" He said, and he said it in such a way that made it impossible to not believe him.

For a few moments, Natalie was so stunned she couldn't even speak.

Inspired by her mother's stories, Natalie had spent years reading everything she could about magic, when she was younger she wished every night she could one day meet a real wizard, and now Merlin, _THE_ Merlin, the famous magician of Camelot, the wizard who had helped King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the greatest magician of all, was sitting right in front of her!

Merlin chuckled at Natalie's silence. "I commend you for being so well read, but I would not presume to call myself the _greatest_ magician of all"

Natalie blushed as she realized that the magician had read her thoughts.

Merlin chuckled again. "You should not believe _everything_ you read" He said.

"Yeah, obviously" Natalie giggled nervously "So Merlin…what are you doing in Frog Creek?" She quickly asked, trying to distract from how embarrassed she was.

"A good question, Natalie" Merlin leaned forward in his chair. "You could say that I am protecting someone"

"Protecting someone?" Natalie repeated

"Yes" Merlin nodded. "You see, in addition to being a 'famous magician', I am also a guardian, a guardian of magic, and of all who use it. One of my many duties is to ensure that those who use magic do so for good purposes"

"Sort of like a policeman of magic?" Natalie said.

Merlin paused for a second, than he nodded. "Yes, I suppose you can put it that way" He said.

"Cool" Natalie smiled.

"Anyway, in order for me to 'police' magic, I sometimes use little tricks that allow me to keep an eye on those who are using magic, such as the letter M you saw carved in the tree house floor above us"

Natalie frowned, confused. "Wait, so the tree house isn't yours?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, though I know it well, the tree house is not mine. It was created by another person who has great magical powers, powers strong enough to rival mine. Thus this person can be seen as my 'rival', if you will."

"So you followed your rival here. But why is your rival here in Frog Creek?" Natalie asked.

"In addition to having strong magical powers, my rival is also a great lover of knowledge. They built the tree house so they could to travel to different places and different time periods around the world in order to collect information." Merlin explained.

"And you keep an eye on this person to make sure they aren't using their magic for any other reason?" Natalie guessed.

Merlin nodded. "Precisely. I also like to be on watch should they encounter a problem. A good wizard should always rely on himself first, and his magic second."

Merlin suddenly gave a tired sigh and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have found that many magic users tend to overlook this rule"

"And you think your rival is one of these people?" Natalie asked.

Merlin's mouth frowned. "No, not…exactly" He admitted, though a little reluctantly. "Let us just say I feel a strong need to keep an eye on them"

"Who exactly is this 'rival of yours?" Natalie asked.

Merlin opened his mouth to answer when…

" _Books!"_ Both Natalie and Merlin froze as another voice rang through the library.

"What was that?" Natalie asked.

" _It's filled with books!"_ The voice said again, very loudly, almost like it was yelling at someone.

"Is there someone else in here?" Natalie asked, glancing around.

Merlin shook his head. "No, that noise is coming from above us" He said, raising his staff as he spoke.

Natalie's eyes widened as she looked up. "The tree house? Is it the creator?" Natalie felt a rush of excitement and fear at the same time. She kind of wanted to meet this creator, but if they were as powerful as Merlin described, she couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

Merlin shook his head again "No, it's not them. I would know if it was" He said, frowning. Merlin's staff glowed dimly and a shining letter M appeared in the air above them.

"You mean someone else found the tree house?" Natalie gasped.

"I believe so" Merlin said as the M floated down to just above their heads. He looked concerned. "But I cannot imagine how that could have happened." Now that the M was close to them, Natalie found that she could easily hear what was happening in the tree house above them.

" _Look, you can see far, far away"_ A voice said, young and girlish. A few seconds later the voice said " _There's our house"_ followed by a loud " _Hi Henry!"_

" _Shush"_ A second voice, this one a little deeper, like a boy's voice, said quickly. " _We're not supposed to be up here"_ A minute later he said " _I wonder who owns all these books"_

" _I like this one"_ The girl's voice said.

Natalie's eyes suddenly widened. _She knew those voices!_ "I don't believe it!" She gasped.

"What is it?" Merlin glanced at her.

"I…I think I know who that is" Natalie said, "It's my cousins, Jack and Annie. I'm living with them in Frog Creek. But what are they doing out here?"

"And how did they discover the tree house?" Merlin said, stroking his beard. "Is it possible they know the creator?"

"What?" Natalie gasped. "That's crazy!"

"No other mortal apart from you has seen the tree house before" Merlin said. "I can think of no other explanation"

" _Here's a book on Pennsylvania"_ The boy's voice spoke. Now that Natalie listened carefully, there was no doubt it was Jack's voice she was hearing. " _Hey, there's a picture of Frog Creek in here. It's a picture of these woods"_

" _Oh, here's a book for you"_ The girl's voice replied. That was definitely Annie's voice.

"This is cool" Natalie whispered. "We can hear everything they're doing up there!"

"Yes, and they cannot hear us" Merlin said, smiling at Natalie's reaction. "I prefer to keep a certain level of anonymity when monitoring other magic users"

Natalie giggled, but stopped as her cousins spoke up again.

" _Let me see that_ " Jack said, and there was a dull thud, like he had just set something heavy down.

" _You look at that one, and I'll look at the one about castles_ " Annie said.

" _No, we'd better not_ " Jack's voice replied. " _We don't know who these books belong to"_

"Well, it doesn't sound like they know the creator" Natalie said. "They must have just stumbled across the tree house by chance, like I did"

"Wait a minute" Merlin suddenly said, his voice suddenly tense. Natalie glanced over at him and saw alarm spread across his face. "No, it can't be!" He said, his eyes widening.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" Natalie asked, now feeling anxious herself. If Merlin was worried, it couldn't be good.

" _Wow"_ Jack's voice rang out from above them. " _I wish I could see a Pteranodon for_ _real_ "

"No!" Merlin suddenly yelled as the tree around them began to shiver and groan. The candles began to flicker and some went out. A few books and scrolls rolled off the shelves as they began shaking.

"NO! STOP!" Merlin roared and raised his staff in the air. There was a bright flash of light, and the entire room seemed to turn gray and freeze.

"Merlin, what's happening? "Natalie asked, glancing around the room.

"I don't believe it!" Merlin said, now looking amazed. "How can this be possible? Seeing the tree house itself is a feat, but being able to use it?"

"Merlin! _What is happening_?" Natalie practically shouted at the magician.

For a moment, Merlin didn't answer, and then he slowly turned to look at Natalie. His face was mostly hidden by his beard, but his eyes were full of concern. "Your cousins have activated the magic of the tree house." He said simply. "When the tree house was built, a spell was cast upon it by its creator. When you point to a picture in one of the books in the tree house and make a wish, the tree house will take you to the time and place the picture shows"

Natalie felt a wave of fear flood through her. "Seriously?" She squeaked, her voice tense. "Is that bad?"

"That would depend on which book your cousin was holding when he made the wish." Merlin replied, staggering a little, and leaning on his staff. He suddenly looked tired. "Can you recall which one Jack was looking at?"

Natalie closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind as she thought back to what Jack and Annie had been talking about, and what she had seen in the tree house. Her memory suddenly clicked and Natalie's eyes shot open.

"Jack was talking about a Pteranodon, he must be holding the dinosaur book!" Natalie gasped as pure dread suddenly hit her. "Oh No! They're going back to the time of the _Dinosaurs!_ You have to _stop_ them!" She said to Merlin.

To Natalie's horror, Merlin shook his head. "It is too late now. I have managed to stop time temporarily, but it will not last for long." He motioned to the grayness on the walls. "And even if I could stop them, I am forbidden to do so."

Natalie couldn't believe her ears. " _What do you mean you're forbidden_?" She shrieked.

"The creator of the Tree House and I have a pact." Merlin explained, now leaning heavily on his staff. Around him, the walls of the tree were beginning to rumble. "We do not directly interfere in each other's magic. Stopping your cousins from going would violate that pact, and could lead to greater problems."

"There must be _something_ you can do!" Natalie said.

"There is" Merlin said, and this time, when he looked at her, there was firmness in his eyes. "I cannot stop them from going, but I can send _you_ after them"

"M-me?" Natalie's eyes grew round.

Merlin nodded. "I can send you after them, to protect your cousins until they find a way to return home."

"Protect them? From _dinosaurs?_ " Natalie looked at Merlin like he was crazy. "How am _I_ supposed to do that?"

"By letting me transform you" Merlin answered. "Using my magic, I can transform you into an animal from dinosaur times."

Natalie gasped. "Really?"

Merlin nodded. "You will be able to keep an eye on your cousins, and protect them if necessary. But Natalie, listen to me" Merlin leaned forward and his voice became serious. "Jack and Annie cannot, I repeat _cannot_ , know that you have followed them."

"Wh-why not?" Natalie asked.

Merlin suddenly groaned and bent over. The grey in the room around them began to fade as color slowly began to return.

"Are you okay?" Natalie ran to the magician's side.

"My time-freezing spell is wearing off." Merlin gestured to the walls around them, which were now shaking like an earthquake. "Once the Tree House leaves, I cannot send you after it. I need an answer Natalie, NOW!"

"Um…uh…" Natalie glanced around the shaking room, then up at the shining M that still floated overhead. She felt afraid, really, really, afraid. But as she stared up at the M, and remembered that her cousins were on the other side, about to be flung into great danger, she realized that there was only one thing she could do.

"Okay, do it!" Natalie nodded at Merlin, who nodded back and gestured for Natalie to move away.

Natalie backed up to the center of the room and Merlin swung his staff around until the tip was pointing at her and muttered words she could not hear.

A bright beam of light poured from the staff and struck Natalie, highlighting her whole body in a warm glow. Natalie shut her eyes as she heard a loud roar followed by a flash of light that penetrated her closed eyelids, than the light dimmed and everything was still.

Natalie opened her eyes and found that Merlin was now looking _up_ at her. The magician nodded. "Yes, this will do nicely" He said.

"What did you do?" Natalie tried to say, but all that came out was a screech. At the same instant, Natalie suddenly lost her balance and fell forward onto what she thought were her hands and knees, but they felt different. Merlin waved his hand and the air in front of Natalie seemed to solidify into a shiny mirror. Natalie felt her eyes widen.

Gazing back at her was a giant creature with a skinny pointed beak and a long pointed crest on the back of its head. Large bat-like wings were folded on either side of its body.

Merlin had transformed her into a Pteranodon!

" _Whoa!"_ Natalie cried as the image faded. But all she heard was a deep bird-like squawk.

"My spell is ending, you need to go now!" Merlin yelled over the roar of the shuddering room. "Remember, protect your cousins, but do not let them know who you are!"

Natalie dipped her head to show she understood.

"Good luck!" Merlin said and waved his staff. Before Natalie could reply, there was another flash of light and both Merlin and the room vanished.

Natalie blinked and shook her head and suddenly felt like she was falling. She spread out her arms and the large bat-like wings caught the air and easily lifted her back up. When her vision cleared, Natalie now saw that she was outside, flying over Frog Creek woods.

"AHHHH!" a scream made Natalie look up. The tree house was in front of her and a blonde girl was gazing wide eyed at her out the window. "A monster!" Annie screamed pointing at Natalie.

 _No, I'm a dinosaur!_ _Well, sort of_. Natalie thought to herself.

"No! Really!" Annie glanced behind her and a second later a dark-haired boy with red-framed glasses joined her at the window. Even from this distance, Natalie could see Jack's jaw drop and she giggled. He looked so silly! They both did!

Suddenly, the wind began to blow, the powerful gusts catching Natalie's wings and lifting her high up into the sky. She saw Jack nearly fall out of the window trying to keep her in sight.

The wind began to pick up and whistle loudly. Natalie tumbled forward, losing all sense of control.

"What's happening?" she heard Jack yell below her.

"Get down!" Annie yelled back.

The wind buffeted Natalie even harder; it was like trying to fly through a hurricane.

Natalie gave up trying to fight the wind and shut her eyes as it pulled her in a circle, spinning faster and faster.

Then the wind just stopped. Everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie felt warm currents of air catch her wings and opened her eyes. Her beak dropped open as she looked around her. _I don't believe it!_ She thought in amazement.

The Frog Creek woods were gone. Natalie's Pteranodon body was soaring over a wide field of ferns and tall grasses. Patches of tall trees dotted the field like islands in a green sea. A sloping hill was nearby, with a winding stream at the base, and in the distance Natalie could see volcanoes.

 _No way!_ Natalie thought, taking this all in with wide eyes. _Am I actually in the time of the dinosaurs?_

Natalie had always loved dinosaurs. Her father had loved them too and Natalie had many memories of him taking her to see dinosaur bones at the museum back home. _Dad would have loved to see this!_ Natalie thought with glee.

"Wh-where are we?" A small voice caught Natalie's attention and she saw the Tree House perched in a nearby oak tree. Jack was sticking his head out of the window, his eyes wide as he looked around.

 _I hope those two are alright!_ Natalie thought. _I'd better stay close to them_.

Natalie angled her new body towards the tree that held the tree house and glided downwards. Instinctively sticking out her wings to act as brakes, Natalie coasted to a stop at the base of the tree and carefully folded her wings.

 _This feels weird!_ Natalie thought as she dug into the soil with her new claws. _Cool, but weird!_

Natalie swiveled her large head from left to right, looking for dinosaurs, but didn't see any nearby.

"Hi!" Annie's voice rang out. Natalie looked up to see Annie's head pull back into the tree house.

 _Who was she calling to?_ Natalie looked around again, but still didn't see anything.

"Hi!" Annie called again. Natalie looked up again and saw Annie was looking down at her.

 _Oh, she was calling to_ _ **me**_ _!_ Natalie realized, feeling a little silly

"Where is _here?_ " Annie called down.

"Beats me!" Natalie replied, but all she heard was a light squawk from her beak. She giggled in her head. _Oops, I forgot! Pteranodons can't speak English!_

Annie pulled her head back into the window. _That's a good question actually,_ Natalie thought. _Where exactly_ _ **are**_ _we in dinosaur times?_

She remembered reading that certain dinosaurs only lived on certain parts of the planet during certain periods. If she remembered right, the Pteranodon lived during the Cretaceous period, the last period the dinosaurs lived in.

Natalie felt a shudder ripple through her body. The Cretaceous was also home to some big meat-eating dinosaurs. Natalie hoped that they weren't in an area where any of _those_ dinosaurs lived. The Pteranodon was a flyer, not a fighter. She wasn't sure how much protection this light body could give if they were attacked.

"Hey!" Jack's voice broke into Natalie's thoughts and she looked up again.

Annie was climbing down the rope ladder.

"Are you crazy?" Jack called from the Tree House. Natalie could hear the concern in his voice, but Annie didn't look worried at all as she climbed down.

Natalie watched as Annie leapt to the ground and walked boldly up to her.

"Hi there" She said softly, there was no fear in her voice or on her face. "I'm Annie"

 _I know who you are_. Natalie thought as she watched Annie stop in front of her. She didn't seem to recognize Natalie at all! Natalie decided that she should play along and tilted her head as if she were confused, staring at Annie.

"I like your crest" Annie said, reaching a hand out. "Can I touch it?" She asked.

"Don't get too close to him Annie!" Jack called from above.

For a second, Natalie thought about moving away, but decided against it and kept still while Annie touched her crest. She could barely feel Annie's hands on it.

 _A Pteranodon's crest is mostly bone_ Natalie thought back to something she had read. _I wonder what it was used for._ She wondered. She would have to look that up when she got back home. Maybe it acted as a counter-weight against their long beak.

Annie's hands then stroked Natalie's neck. _That_ she could feel and to her surprise it felt good. She had a sudden reference to her dogs being scratched behind the ears. _Now I know why dogs like this!_ Natalie thought as she enjoyed the attention.

"Wow, you feel so soft." Annie said. "Jack said you're a reptile, like a lizard, but you don't feel scaly at all."

 _Oh, that feels good!_ Natalie thought with a sigh, closing her eyes as she felt Annie's hands running along her neck and down to her back.

The creaking of the rope ladder made Natalie open her eyes to see Jack on his way down. Natalie chuckled to herself. Jack may be the more cautious of the two, but Natalie was sure there was no way he was going to miss seeing an ancient flying reptile up close.

 _This is kinda fun!_ Natalie giggled as she watched Jack stare at them for a moment, frozen on the rope ladder. _It's just like with the M in Merlin's study. I can see them, but they can't see me!_

Jack hopped off the ladder and landed a few feet away from Natalie.

 _Well Jack, how do I look?_ Natalie thought, knowing full well that Jack couldn't hear her.

"He's soft, Jack" Annie said next to her. "He feels like Henry"

Jack snorted. "He's no dog, Annie"

"Feel him, Jack" Annie said.

Jack didn't move

"Don't think, Jack. Just do it" Annie coaxed

 _Yeah Jack, come on!_ Natalie agreed mentally. _Are you really gonna pass up this chance?_

Jack cautiously stepped forward and Natalie felt his hand brush down her neck.

 _See?_ Natalie looked at him. _That wasn't so bad, was it?_

"Soft, huh?" Said Annie

Jack didn't answer. Instead he reached into his backpack and pulled out his notebook. He began writing in it

"What are you doing?" Annie asked.

"Taking notes" Jack replied. "We're probably the first people in the whole world to ever see a real live Pteranodon"

Natalie chuckled in her head as Jack looked her over. _Figures he'd do that. Always the scientist!_

"I wonder how smart he is" Jack said after a minute.

" _Very_ smart" Annie replied.

"Don't count on it" Jack argued. "His brain's probably no bigger than a bean"

 _I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that_! Natalie thought, looking away from Jack.

"No, he's very smart. I can feel it" Annie said.

Natalie stiffened suddenly. _What did Annie mean by that?_ She wondered. Had Natalie been wrong? Could Annie somehow see through Merlin's disguise?

"I'm going to call him Henry" Annie said and Natalie relaxed. _Never mind._ She thought, _Annie's just being Annie._

"Maybe he's a mutant" Jack said.

 _Hey!_ Natalie swung her head around to look at Jack.

Annie laughed. "He's no mutant, Jack."

 _I should think not!_ Natalie thought angrily. _I'm just a girl in a dinosaur's body! There's nothing unusual…about...that._ Natalie suddenly realized the reality of what she was thinking. _Okay, maybe it's a_ _ **little**_ _unusual!_ She said to herself.

"Well, what's he doing here then? Where is this place?" Said Jack

Natalie felt Annie lean closer to her. "Do you know where we are, Henry?" She asked softly.

Natalie turned her head to look at her. _I wish I could tell you_ , she thought, looking into Annie's eyes. She could feel her mouth opening and closing.

Annie noticed. "Are you trying to talk to me Henry?" she asked.

"Forget it, Annie" Jack said, and out of the corner of her eye, Natalie saw Jack writing something else down in his notebook.

"Did we come to a time long ago, Henry?" Annie asked her mouth inches from Natalie's ear. "Is this a place from long ago?"

Natalie realized she _could_ answer this question. All it would take was a simple nod of her head, but part of her knew that might be a risky move.

Before she could make up her mind however, Annie suddenly gasped. "Jack!" and pointed up the hill

Jack looked up and Natalie turned her head to see what Annie was pointing at. She felt her jaw drop. At the top of the hill was a huge dinosaur!

 _Wow, a Triceratops!_ Natalie thought in awe as she gazed at the giant creature. There was no mistaking those three long horns and that big frill behind its head.

"Go! Go!" Natalie looked around to see Jack shoving his notebook into his pack. He began pushing Annie towards the rope ladder.

"Bye, Henry!" Annie called over her shoulder.

"Go!" Jack urged, giving Annie a push

"Quit it!" Annie argued, but she started climbing the ladder, with Jack right behind her.

 _Hey, where are you two going?"_ Natalie called after them as they tumbled into the tree house. _That's a Triceratops; he's not a meat-eater!_ _He's not going to hurt you!_

Natalie turned her head back towards the animal, and suddenly didn't feel so sure. That dinosaur was _big_! Much bigger than her!

 _Maybe I_ _ **should**_ _keep an eye on him._ Natalie decided, shuffling uneasily.

"Just promise you won't pet him?" Jack's voice made Natalie look back up.

Jack and Annie were on the rope ladder. "I promise" Annie said

"Promise you won't kiss him" Jack asked.

"I promise"

"Promise you won't talk to him"

"I promise"

 _Oh for Pete's sake, just go already!_ Natalie thought as she stared up at them.

"Promise you won't…"

"Go! Go!" Annie urged and Natalie watched them climb down.

 _Have fun you two!_ Natalie called mentally as they headed past her.

Annie stopped to blow her a kiss. "Be back soon, Henry"

"Shush" Jack said and the two plunged into the ferns heading towards the Triceratops.

 _Hmmm, should I take off?_ Natalie wondered, tensing her wings. She knew could get a better viewpoint from the air. Then she looked at the Triceratops, at those sharp horns. _On second thought, I'd better not. I don't want to spook him, and I can see fine from here_. She decided and refolded her wings.

She did shuffle around so that she was facing away from the tree instead of towards it. _Wow! Now I see why Pteranodon probably spent a lot of time in the air,_ Natalie thought as she moved. With her wings connecting her arms and legs together, she felt like an old lady on crutches and could only take tiny steps.

A laugh cut through the air and Natalie looked up to see Annie tumble out from behind a bush, in full view of the Triceratops.

 _Uh oh_! Natalie tensed as the big animal spotted Annie. Annie froze and Natalie slowly lifted her wings, ready to fly to the rescue, as Annie and the dinosaur stared at each other.

Eventually though, the Triceratops turned away from Annie and began moving down the side of the hill. "Bye!" Natalie heard Annie call after it.

Natalie relaxed. _False alarm_ , she sighed with relief. She shook her head as Jack and Annie began climbing the hill.

She saw Jack pause to pick something up off the hillside and chuckled. _Collecting samples now, Jack?_ She wondered, giggling.

"Oh wow!" Annie had reached the top of the hill and was staring at something on the other side. As Natalie watched, she took off down the far side of the hill and vanished from view.

 _Where's she going?_ Natalie wondered

"Annie, come back!" Jack shouted before charging up the hill.

Natalie raised her neck to watch Jack, than froze as she heard a shriek.

 _Annie!_ Natalie spread her wings.

"Annie?" Jack called as he neared the top. Then another sound filled the air, a deep bellow, like a tuba, but more forceful. Natalie paused with her wings partially outspread and tilted her head. It wasn't an angry sound, more like a panicked sound.

"Jack! Come here!" Natalie heard Annie call

"Annie!" By this time Jack had reached the top of the hill and for a few seconds he stood there, before he too disappeared from view.

 _Oh great!_ Natalie raised her head as high as it would go, but she could no longer see either of them. The deep tuba sounds continued. _The least they can do is stay in one place! I'd better go see what happened to them_.

Natalie spread her wings and tried to lift off the ground, but part of her wing caught on a nearby bush and dragged her back down, digging into the skin on her wing in the process.

 _Ow!_ Natalie groaned as she fell rather clumsily back down to earth. _Being a flying reptile isn't easy!_ She realized as she slowly got back to a somewhat upright position.

Slowly shuffling out of range from the spiky bushes, she spread her wings for another takeoff, than looked up, and her eyes widened.

Annie was back at the top of the hill, but she wasn't alone. With her was a large duck-billed dinosaur!

As Natalie stared at them, Annie plucked a magnolia flower off the tree and handed it up to the dinosaur. The dinosaur took the flowers from Annie and chewed them in its bill-like mouth.

 _Whew, another false alarm!"_ Natalie folded her wings again. She giggled as she watched Annie hand the dinosaur another flower.

"She's nice too, Jack!" Annie glanced down the hill where Jack must be.

 _Only you Annie_. Natalie thought, laughing in her mind as she watched. _Only you would try to feed a large ancient reptile that you just met!_

Jack had once told Natalie that Annie was always trying to make friends with animals she encountered, but Annie clearly had more courage than Natalie thought.

Suddenly the dinosaur threw back its head and made a loud bellow, a deep noise like a tuba. Annie immediately crouched down.

 _ **That**_ _was the bellowing I heard earlier!_ Natalie realized as she watched the duckbill bellow again.

Still bellowing, the duckbill charged down the far side of the hill and disappeared, like something had frightened her.

Just then Natalie felt a cold feeling creep down the back of her head. She didn't know what was causing it, but she had an uneasy feeling that danger was close by. As Natalie saw Jack reappear next to Annie at the top of the hill, the feeling grew worse. Natalie glanced around, but didn't see anything.

"I wonder why she ran away" Annie's voice drifted down to her. "We were starting to be friends"

Up on the hill, Natalie saw Jack glance towards the distant plains, and from his posture, Natalie could tell he didn't like what he was seeing.

Natalie slowly turned her head in the direction Jack was looking, and instantly felt sick to her stomach.

A dinosaur was heading their way. Still far out, but getting bigger and closer all the time. It walked on two legs and had a long thick tail. Its arms were puny and its head was huge. Its jaws were wide open and Natalie could see long sharp teeth gleaming.

 _Oh dear!_ Natalie shuddered. This was a dinosaur she _definitely_ recognized. A Tyrannosaurus Rex!

"Run Annie! Run!" Jack cried and Natalie saw the two of them charge down the hill towards her. "To the tree house!"

 _Yes! Yes! Good idea! Time to go home!_ Natalie agreed, shifting back and forth as they dashed through the tall grass, ran past her and scurried up the rope ladder.

Then a thought struck her. _But how_ _ **will**_ _they get home?_

Natalie thought back to what Merlin had said. _The Pennsylvania book!_ She realized, looking up at the tree house. _If they got here by making a wish on the dinosaur book, then maybe they can get home by making a wish on the Pennsylvania book!_

Annie's face appeared at the window, gazing out towards the plains. "He's going away!" She said. Natalie turned back towards the Tyrannosaurus; it was wandering away from them.

 _Whew!_ Natalie felt relieved. _Close call!_

Then suddenly the dinosaur stopped, and turned back around.

"Duck!" Natalie heard Jack yell from above, and she complied, flattening her head against the grass beneath her. A few seconds later, Natalie slowly raised her head and gazed towards the plains. The Tyrannosaurus was gone.

 _Where'd he go?_ Natalie wondered nervously. The danger feeling on the back of her neck was still there. _An animal that big can't just disappear,_ Natalie thought as she slowly looked around. _He's around here somewhere._

Natalie shuddered as she imagined the big animal lunging out from behind a tree. She wouldn't stand a chance against that monster. She needed to get airborne.

Natalie spread her wings in preparation for takeoff.

"Hurry!" Annie's voice made her pause. She glanced up, and her beak dropped open.

Jack was climbing down the rope ladder!

 _No, Jack! What are you doing? Get back up there!_ Natalie shouted in her head, forgetting that she couldn't talk.

Before she could move to block him, Jack leapt to the ground, raced past her, and darted into the ferns. Natalie turned her head to follow Jack's progress through the tall grass and back up the hill.

 _What is he doing?_ She wondered as Jack paused at the top of the hill, than he charged down the other side. _Is he nuts?_

Natalie heard a tuba-bellow fill the air. _The_ _duckbill!_ Then there was another, and another! It sounded like a whole chorus of duckbills was bellowing on the other side of the hill.

 _Maybe there are nests over there_. Natalie thought, tilting her head; it made the most sense. _Why else would dinosaurs stick around when there was a big meat-eater nearby?_

Natalie sighed with relief as Jack quickly reappeared with his backpack clutched in his hands.

 _ **That's**_ _what he went back for! His notes!_ Natalie shook her head. Where Annie liked pretend things, Jack preferred real things and enjoyed research more than anything else.

 _He IS nuts!_ Natalie sighed

Suddenly movement out of the corner of her eye made Natalie freeze, and her blood ran cold.

The Tyrannosaurus had reappeared from out of nowhere. And he was standing between Natalie and Jack!

Natalie saw Jack dart behind the magnolia tree near the top of the hill. Natalie pressed herself against the grassy ground, praying the creature didn't see her.

The Tyrannosaurus raised its ugly head and sniffed the air, its large jaws opening and closing.

 _Okay, don't panic!_ Natalie told herself, even as she felt her wings trembling. _As long as Jack stays hidden, that monster can't get him_.

But just then the Tyrannosaurus sniffed the air again, turned, and to Natalie's horror, began to wander _towards_ the hill.

 _Oh great!_ Now Natalie was on the verge of panicking. _Now what?_

"Henry?" Natalie whipped her head around to see Annie approaching her.

 _Annie?_ Natalie's eyes widened. What was she doing down here?

"Henry, I need you to get Jack" Annie said, looking Natalie in the eyes.

 _What?_ Natalie tilted her head.

"You" Annie pointed to Natalie. "Fly" Annie flapped her wings. "Jack" She pointed to where her brother was hiding. "Away" Annie pointed up to the sky. "To here" Annie pointed to the tree house.

Natalie suddenly understood. _You want me to get Jack back here,_ She thought, and then felt dread surge through her as she realized that would mean getting _in-between_ Jack and the Tyrannosaurus! Natalie shuddered. That was the _last_ thing she wanted to do!

"Please Henry" Annie pleaded, and Natalie could see tears in the girl's eyes. "Please! You've gotta get him!"

A roar made Natalie look up. The Tyrannosaurus was at the base of the hill and was staring up at the magnolia tree. If it saw Jack now, there would be nowhere for him to run!

Natalie imagined Jack panicking, imagined him running, imagined the monster chasing him, imagined it catching up to him, imagined…

 _NO!_ Natalie suddenly felt her fear slip away, replaced by anger and fury. _I've already lost my mother and my father! I am NOT losing any more of my family!_ Without thinking, Natalie pumped her wings and felt herself lift off the ground.

"Go, Henry! Go!" Natalie heard Annie cheer, but her voice became lost in the roaring that filled Natalie's ears as she flew towards the top of the hill.

 _Hang on Jack! I'm coming!_ She called out as she flew over the fern plain.

She glanced down as her shadow passed over the Tyrannosaurus and saw the monster look up at her. Its hungry eyes narrowed as it glared at her.

 _Not on MY watch, buster!_ Natalie snapped her beak at the monster and flapped higher until she was soaring over the hill.

She spotted Jack crouching down near the base of the magnolia tree. As he shadow passed over him, Jack glanced up and his eyes widened. Natalie angled her wings to bring her down to where Jack was. Jack rose to his knees as Natalie coasted to the ground near him.

 _Hurry, Jack! Get on!_ Natalie called to him, wishing that now he _could_ hear her.

Jack just stared at her.

 _Hurry, there's not much time!_ Natalie pleaded, glancing down the hill. The Tyrannosaurus was staring up towards them, his eyes locked on them and his teeth flashing in the sunlight.

" _GET ON, ALREADY!_ " Natalie shrieked in her mind, snapping her beak in annoyance. Maybe Jack understood _that_ because suddenly he moved. He shoved the dinosaur book in his hands into his pack and then dashed over to Natalie.

Natalie braced herself as she felt Jack ease his way onto her back and placed both hands around her neck. _Hang on Jack!_ Natalie thought as she began to move forwards. _This may get rough!_

Natalie could feel warm air beneath her wings; she straightened them, and lifted off the ground!

Almost instantly, Natalie dipped in the air. The wind, which had carried her fine when she was alone, was now struggling to hold up both her and her passenger. Natalie flapped desperately to keep herself airborne.

 _Okay, this…is not…as easy…as I thought!_ Natalie panted as she began teeter to one side, and then the other. Natalie felt Jack roll behind her and quickly corrected herself so he didn't fall off!

Finally, Natalie felt a firm gust of wind beneath her and, pumping her wings, rose up into the sky.

A roar made her look down. The Tyrannosaurus was chomping the air and staring up at them.

 _Sorry, pal! No lunch for you today!_ Natalie called to it as she glided away.

 _Woah!_ The wind current took her over the crest of the hill.

Natalie's eyes widened as she finally caught a glimpse of the valley on the other side of the hill. It was full of enormous duck-billed dinosaurs, all standing guard over large nests made of mud. Nests that were filled with baby dinosaurs!

 _So this is where the bellowing was coming from! A dinosaur nursery! Wow!_ Natalie gazed in awe at all the little babies.

As her shadow passed over one of the mothers, she raised her head and bellowed up at her. _Uh oh!_ Natalie suddenly realized, _I'd better keep Mr. Creepy away from this place! Hang on Jack!_

Natalie circled over the valley once and flew back over the fern plains. The tyrannosaurus growled as it saw them reappear and, as Natalie flew past it, it turned and started back down the hill after them.

She spotted the Triceratops from before grazing in the ferns nearby. It gazed up at her calmly as her shadow passed overhead. _Watch out for the Rex!_ Natalie called to it, squawking down at the Triceratops, but the big animal ignored her.

As Natalie leveled herself out and soared across the plain, she felt Jack's hands loosen from around her neck and gently wrap around her crest. She heard him give a whoop, and then he laughed out loud.

 _Enjoying yourself, Jack?_ Natalie thought sarcastically, but she giggled as well. This _was_ enjoyable. Up here, Natalie felt light as a feather, completely free! She could only imagine Jack was feeling the same way.

As they sailed over the stream and the bushes, Natalie turned her head to glance behind her. The Tyrannosaurus was chasing after them, but he was far behind them now.

Natalie dove down towards the tree that held the Tree House and coasted to a stop at the base of the tree.

She felt Jack slide off of her back and she pumped her wings again. _Go on Jack! Get going!_ Natalie urged as she rose into the air again.

"Bye, Henry" She heard Jack whisper as she took off.

"Are you okay?" Annie called from the tree house. Natalie at first thought she was calling to _her_ but she saw that she was looking down at Jack.

Natalie angled her body to circle around and saw that Jack had not moved, but was still staring up at her.

"Jack, are you okay?" Annie yelled.

Jack smiled as he gazed up at Annie. "Thanks for saving my life!" He called up to her. "That was really fun!"

 _Hey! What about me?_ Natalie protested, but she knew there was no point arguing even if they _could_ hear her. It _had_ been Annie's idea.

"Climb up!" Annie cried out and Jack took a shaky step.

Natalie spiraled upwards on a warm air current. "Hurry! He's coming!" She heard Annie yell.

Natalie looked out towards the plains, and her heart stopped. The Tyrannosaurus was much closer than she thought and it running now, straight towards Jack!

 _Oh great! This guys' not gonna give up!_ Natalie groaned.

The Tyrannosaurus roared hungrily and Natalie shuddered.

Annie shrieked from inside the tree house. Jack, still shaky, grabbed the rope ladder.

Natalie took a deep breath to chase her fears away, as much as she wanted to avoid a confrontation; it seemed there was no other option. With that in mind, she tucked her wings in and dove down towards the ground below. She saw Jack start to climb the rope ladder.

Natalie narrowed her eyes as she fell towards the monster. _Okay buddy!_ She thought. _If it's a fight you want. You've got it!_ She aimed her beak straight for the monster's eyes.

Suddenly, a large gust of hot air slammed into Natalie's side, throwing her off course. Natalie opened her wings to correct it, and the wind caught them and blew her backwards like a kite.

THUD! Natalie slammed into something solid and felt leaves fall around her. She had been blown into the oak tree.

"Make a wish!" She heard Annie cry out from above her.

"We need the book! The one with the picture of Frog Creek! Where is it?" Jack yelled back.

The Tyrannosaurus roared and Natalie opened her eyes to see it just feet away from her. Natalie tried to fly up, only to discover that her wings were caught in the tree's branches.

 _Oh, come on!_ Natalie groaned, frantically beating her wings against the thick branches. The Tyrannosaurus reared above her, jaws opening wide.

 _HURRY JACK!_ _HURRY_! Natalie's panicked thoughts filled her mind as she frantically tried to free herself.

It was no use. Natalie heard a scream escape her beak as the Tyrannosaurus lunged towards her.

"I wish we could go home!" She heard Jack yell.

The wind suddenly picked up, it was whistling now. The Tyrannosaurus paused and took a step backwards, roaring angrily. Then it seemed to disappear.

Natalie could feel the tree house begin to spin and the wind seemed to get stronger. Natalie could feel it tear her away from her cage of branches, but she was powerless to fight it.

The wind spun her faster and faster, Natalie shut her eyes and waited for it to end.

THUD! The wind suddenly stopped and Natalie slammed into what felt like a soft earthy floor. Everything was calm, completely calm.

"NATALIE!" Natalie jumped as a deep voice called her name. She winced as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Natalie! Are you alright?"

The voice sounded familiar. Natalie opened her eyes.

Her vision was filled with scrolls and candles. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was back in Merlin's secret study inside the oak tree in Frog Creek!

"Natalie" Natalie glanced up to see the old magician standing over her, with concern written all over his face. "Are you alright?" He asked again.

Natalie glanced down at her body and realized she was human again. Still too stunned about what had all just happened to speak, Natalie nodded.

"Thank goodness!" Merlin knelt before her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I was very worried"

Seeing true concern in the wizard's eyes, Natalie finally found her voice. "Oh Merlin!" She wrapped her hands around the wizard's shoulders and hugged him. A moment later, she felt Merlin's arm wrap around her. "That was so scary!"

" _Come-ing!"_ Annie's voice made Natalie glance up to see the glowing letter M was still hovering over them.

" _What happened to us?"_ Jack's voice came from the M

" _We took a trip in a magic tree house"_ Annie replied simply

Natalie snorted and shook her head as Merlin released her. How could they be so calm? Natalie felt like her heart was racing a mile a minute!

" _But it's the same time as when we left"_ Jack said.

Natalie's jaw dropped and she glanced at Merlin. "Is that true?" She asked

Merlin nodded and smiled. "One of the benefits of traveling through time is that it often takes no time at all" He said and winked at her.

Despite everything that happened, Natalie burst out laughing, laughing so hard she fell onto her back, laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes. Now that the adventure was over, it felt good to laugh. It made the ordeal seem, less scary.

"Now, I ask again. What happened to you and your cousins?" Merlin asked when Natalie had finally stopped.

Being as brief as she could, Natalie described everything that had happened since their arrival, though she downplayed the part of how she had helped save Jack from the Tyrannosaurus. She didn't want Merlin to know how involved she had become.

When she was finished, she opened her eyes again and saw that Merlin was sitting rigidly in his chair, eyes closed. For a moment, Natalie thought he was sleeping, but he opened his eyes and she saw respect in them.

"You are a very brave girl, Natalie" Merlin said and Natalie felt herself blush.

"Well…I…" Natalie stammered, suddenly at a loss for words.

"I am serious" Merlin leaned forward in his chair, and his voice _did_ sound serious. "The monster you faced would have made many a grown man turn and run, but you risked your own life to rescue your cousin, _and then_ you went back to fight the creature, even though you knew you had no chance against it. That is true courage."

"Th-thanks" Natalie glanced at the floor, embarrassed. Merlin had read her mind again, she realized. He knew how involved she had been. "Too bad I blew my cover"

Merlin let out a deep breath. "Maybe, maybe not. But I think you made the right decision." He said and Natalie smiled at him.

" _Come-ing!"_ Annie's voice rang out from the M above them and Natalie could hear her cousins moving around above them. It sounded like they were preparing to leave.

"I think I'd better go" Natalie looked at Merlin, and the wizard nodded, smiling like he understood.

Natalie smiled back at him. "Good bye Merlin. It was nice meeting you"

"And it was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Natalie" Merlin gave Natalie a small bow.

Natalie bowed back, and then paused. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Natalie glanced down to see that she was still wearing the ring she had found, she now knew it was Merlin's. She moved to take it off, but paused when Merlin held up his hand to stop her.

"I would like you to keep it. Consider it a token of my regards for the great deeds you have done today." Merlin's face suddenly became serious again. "And for the great deeds you will do in the future" He added.

Something about the way he was speaking made Natalie feel uneasy. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Merlin leaned back in his chair. "I sense that your cousins will soon return to the tree house. They now know how to use the tree house's magic and I imagine today's adventure has left them with many questions, and at this point, no answers."

"And you think they'll come here looking for those answers?" Natalie said.

Merlin looked at Natalie. "Mark my words, Jack and Annie _will_ be back, and when they do, they may need your help again"

Natalie nodded, feeling nervous again. She really hoped Jack and Annie weren't going to come back, but she knew that Merlin was right. They probably _would_ be back, and soon. She knew because if she were in their position, that's exactly what she would do.

Merlin pointed to Natalie's hand. "The ring you wear is worn by people who are in my confidence. It will allow me to contact you if they return to the tree house, and you can use it to contact me as well if you learn when they plan to go. In addition, it will allow you to enter this place from the ground, rather than fall through the Tree house floor." Merlin gestured to the study around them.

"How?" Natalie asked. Secretly she felt relieved that she wouldn't have to fall through the floor again.

"When you come to the oak tree that holds the tree house, place your hands upon the bark of the trunk and speak the following rhyme" Merlin closed his eyes as he spoke

"I wish to pass into the heart,

For a new mission I seek to start"

"I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start" Natalie repeated.

"Good" Merlin smiled at her, but then his face changed again. "Also, I must ask you for one more favor"

"What?"

"You must swear that you will keep your connection with me and the tree house a secret. No one can know." Merlin said.

Natalie's eyes widened. "No one?" She repeated.

"No one" Merlin shook his head. "Not even Jack and Annie"

"But why not?" Natalie asked.

"There are many reasons" Merlin said. "But the most important one you should know is, because if my rival were to learn about you, they may see your involvement as more of my interference, this would lead them to try to prevent you from following your cousins next time." Merlin paused and Natalie thought she saw the magician's eyes flash in the candlelight.

Natalie shuddered as she imagined the Tyrannosaurus rearing up over Jack and Annie. She nodded. There was no way she was letting her cousins face such problems without some backup!

"Do you swear to secrecy?" Merlin asked.

Natalie nodded again. "I swear not to reveal my involvement with the magic tree house to anyone" She said, raising her hand scout-style.

Merlin nodded, looking satisfied "Now you should go home. Get some rest" He said, sitting back down in his chair.

Natalie nodded and turned to go, then paused. There was no doorway she could see leading outside.

"Um, how do I get out of here?" She turned back to Merlin.

The wizard smiled at her and pointed to an opening behind her that lead to what looked like a blank wall.

"Through there" He said.

Natalie crossed the room and examined the wall. There was no knob, so Natalie pressed her hands against the wall and pushed. There was a low creak and a flash of light and she found herself outside next to the rope ladder.

Natalie glanced behind her and saw only the trunk of the tree. The bark was smooth and undisturbed.

 _Did that really just happen?_ Natalie wondered, scratching her head. It all suddenly felt like a dream.

A flash of blue caught her eye and she stared at the ring on her finger. The blue stone seemed to wink at her.

Natalie smiled, and then glanced up at the tree house nestled in the branches above her.

"Yep" Natalie said "It happened" She laughed to herself and began to walk out of the woods

A minute later, she had almost caught up with Jack and Annie, and was close enough to hear them talking.

"No one is going to believe our story" said Jack

"So let's not tell anyone" said Annie

"Dad won't believe it" said Jack

"He'll say it was a dream" said Annie

"Mom won't believe it" said Jack

"She'll say it was pretend" said Annie

"My teacher won't believe it" said Jack

"She'll say you're nuts" said Annie

By this point, Natalie was right behind them, but they had not yet noticed her. Natalie opened her mouth to say something to them.

"Natalie won't believe it" Jack said, and Natalie paused.

Annie shook her head. "She'll say you're crazy" She said as they kept walking, leaving Natalie standing there with her hand raised.

"Yeah, besides with her mother and father still fresh on her mind, she might think we were making fun of her" Jack said, and Natalie felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen.

"What do you mean?" Annie asked.

"Uncle Michael studied history, remember?" said Jack. "He did lots of research about the past, and dinosaurs were always one of his favorite topics. You know he inspires me every time I do research"

"Oh yeah, and Aunt Sally studied legends and stories. I remember she used to tell me all these wonderful 'myths'." Annie said. "I _loved_ Aunt Sally's stories!"

"Yeah, we'd better not tell Natalie. She'd only take it the wrong way." said Jack. "We'd better not tell anybody"

"I already said that" said Annie. "It'll be our secret"

Natalie watched her two cousins walk down the street towards their house.

 _Was that really what they think of my parents_? Natalie wondered, pulling out the locket and opening it. She thought that no one could love her mom and dad as much as she did, but maybe she was wrong.

Her uncle's voice, rich and deep, echoed in her mind. _"If history teaches us anything, it is that humans learn best through experience. The past is chock full of examples of how experience has helped unlock greatness inside of us."_

Her mother's voice, musical and light, added _"What I like best about myths and legends, is that new chapters are being written all the time, even now. And by learning about legends, we learn about ourselves too"_

Natalie felt a smile come to her face as tears fell through her eyes. She couldn't tell Jack and Annie that she knew about the tree house. Her parents wouldn't have wanted her to, and plus, she had promised Merlin she wouldn't tell.

"Tomorrow, we'll go back to the woods" She heard Jack say.

"Of course" Annie agreed

"And we'll climb into the tree house" Jack said

"Of course" Said Annie.

"And we'll see what happens next" Jack said

"Of course" Said Annie. "Race you!"

Natalie smiled as she watched her cousins take off running. "And I'll be right behind you, every step of the way" She said quietly, glancing down at the ring on her finger.

"You two aren't the only ones who can keep a secret. Let's see how long it takes you to realize that" Natalie chuckled as she took off running after them towards her aunt's house.

Her life in Frog Creek was about to get _very_ interesting.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Like a lot of people, I grew up reading the Magic Tree House series, it's always been one of my favorites. Even now, grown as I am, I still sit down to read one or two of these books every time I go to the library.**

 **I've been wanting to write my own version of the series for some time. But this is strictly a back-burner project, meaning that how often I update will depend on what readers like yourselves think of it. If you want to see more, you're going to have to tell me. That shouldn't be too hard, right?**

 **Natalie Pope is a character that I created, the other characters can all be found in the actual book series. And in case you didn't catch it, Jack and Annie's parents are named after the series author, Mary Pope Osborne, and her husband William. Natalie's last name is also the author's middle name.**

 **I have big plans for this series, but like I said, whether or not these plans bear fruit depends on you. That being said, I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Until next time!**


	2. The Knight At Dawn

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

 **By Tang Ri Shan**

 **The Knight at Dawn**

Natalie shifted in her bed, her eyes were closed, her breathing steady. But she wasn't sleeping.

She was listening for the creaking of the hallway floorboards, or the whisper of hushed voices.

Any sound, any hint that would tell her that her cousins would be sneaking out of the house to go back to the woods.

 _Back to the Magic Tree House_ , Natalie thought to herself, smiling at the memories.

Yesterday, Natalie's younger cousins, Jack and Annie, had discovered a tree house in the woods near their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a tree house that had lots of books in it.

They soon discovered that the tree house was magical. If they pointed to a picture in one of the books and made a wish, the tree house would take them there.

Jack and Annie had used tree house to travel back to the time of the dinosaurs, and had almost not come back alive.

They thought no one would believe their adventure, but they were wrong.

Natalie believed them, because she had been with them the entire time.

Natalie had discovered the tree house shortly before Jack and Annie had, but she had fallen into a hidden study beneath the tree house.

There she had met Merlin, the legendary magician from Camelot who was also a guardian of all those who used magic.

When Jack and Annie had used the tree house to travel back in time, Merlin, unable to stop them from going, had used his magic to send Natalie back in time after them, disguised as a Pteranodon.

In this new form, Natalie had ended up saving Jack from being eaten by a Tyrannosaurus.

After they all returned home, Merlin had warned Natalie that Jack and Annie might return to the tree house soon, and when they did, he may need Natalie's help to keep them safe.

Having only recently lost both her parents in a car accident, Natalie was determined not to lose any more members of her family, which was why she was lying half-awake in bed right now, waiting, listening, for any sign that her cousins were planning to go back.

"Can't you sleep?" Natalie's eyes snapped open at Annie's voice.

Slowly, she rolled over in bed until she was facing the door to her room. From her bed, with the door to her room open a crack, she could see across the hall to the door to Jack's room.

Right now, she could see the back of Annie's head as she stood in Jack's doorway. Natalie heard Jack say something that she couldn't make out.

"Ne neither," Annie said, slipping into Jack's room.

 _No kidding._ Natalie thought as she sat up. _It's not every day you get to ride an ancient flying reptile and feed a duck-billed dinosaur_.

Natalie chuckled to herself as she remembered flying through the prehistoric skies with Jack on her back. Jack, who was usually so quiet and serious, had laughed and whooped like a kid on a roller coaster.

And Annie, Natalie remembered the look in Annie's eyes as she had pleaded for Natalie to save Jack from the Tyrannosaurus. Annie, who was so usually full of energy and happiness, had genuinely looked concerned.

These were sides to her cousins that she had never witnessed before.

True, Natalie had not made much of an effort to get to know her cousins since she moved in with them, but still, the behavior they had shown in the time of the dinosaurs seemed completely opposite of what she had seen in the month she had lived in Frog Creek.

" _If you see with your eyes, you are easily fooled, but if you see with your heart, you are never_ _ **a**_ _fool"_ A quote from Natalie's mother flashed through her mind. Her mother had studied myths and legends and some of her favorites involved deities and gods going in disguise amongst mortals, to test them, protect them, or simply to escape from their godly duties.

Natalie had loved these stories too when she was younger, so much that she had used to look closely at people on the street back in Chicago, to see if they were really gods in disguise.

Shaking her head at the memory, Natalie quickly and quietly got out of bed and moved to her bedroom door.

Easing it open, she crossed the hall on tiptoe until she stood next to Jack's door. She couldn't see into Jack's room, but she could hear what was happening.

"Aren't you going to write about the magic person?" Annie was asking

"We don't know for sure if there _is_ a magic person" Jack replied

Natalie felt the corner of her mouth curl up. _I do_ , she thought smugly.

Merlin had told her the tree house had been created by 'his rival', someone from Camelot whose magic powers were as strong as his. His 'rival' was the main reason Natalie's involvement had stay a secret. Merlin was afraid his rival would try to stop Natalie from helping her cousins if they found out about her.

Natalie's eyes narrowed as she recalled the cold feeling she had experienced last night. It had happened twice, once while she was climbing the rope ladder to the tree house, and again in dinosaur times just before the tyrannosaurus appeared. Natalie hadn't given much thought to it then, but now, thinking back, Natalie remembered both times feeling like someone else was nearby.

As Natalie thought that, another memory from yesterday played back in her head, of the mysterious wind that had come out of nowhere as she was preparing to fight off the Tyrannosaurus. As far as Natalie knew, winds that strong _did not_ suddenly spring up out of nowhere.

Natalie tensed. What if Merlin's 'rival' had made that wind appear?

 _But that wind may have saved me,_ Natalie thought, _if they really are Merlin's enemy, why would they save me?_

"Well _someone_ built that tree house in the woods." Annie's voice snapped Natalie out of her thoughts. " _Someone_ put all the books in it. _Someone_ lost a gold medal in dinosaur times"

Natalie frowned. _Gold medal? What was Annie talking about?_ Natalie hadn't seen anything golden in dinosaur times, but then again, she hadn't exactly been looking.

"Medallion" Jack corrected Annie. "And I'm just writing the facts. The stuff we know for sure"

"Let's go back to the tree house right now," Said Annie. "And find out if the magic person is a fact."

Natalie caught her breath. _They're going right now?_ She thought.

"Are you nuts?" Said Jack "The sun's not even up yet."

Natalie silently agreed with Jack.

"Come on" Annie pleaded. "Maybe we can catch them sleeping"

 _Not likely._ Natalie shook her head. She was certain that Merlin and his rival were not the kind of people that allowed themselves to be caught napping.

"I don't think we should" Jack sounded reluctant.

"Well _I'm_ going," Annie said, as if that sealed the matter.

Natalie gave a quiet sigh. At least one of them was going and that was all she needed to know. She slipped back across the hallway and back into her own room, closing the door just as Annie reappeared in Jack's doorway.

Natalie slipped out of her pajamas and pulled on jeans, a dark sweatshirt, and her sneakers, before opening a drawer on her desk. Feeling around inside, she pulled out a small ring and slipped it onto her finger.

Peeking out to make sure the coast was clear; Natalie crept out of her room, along the hall and down the darkened stairs.

Suddenly a flash of light appeared from the kitchen. Natalie froze on the stairs, her heart racing. Were her aunt and uncle up already?

"Ta Da! A magic wand!" Annie's voice piped up, and Natalie almost laughed with relief, it was just Jack and Annie!

"Shh! Don't wake up everyone!" Jack whispered. "And turn that flashlight off. We don't want anyone to see us"

 _No, we wouldn't want that, would we?_ Natalie thought, shaking her head as the light clicked off. She heard the back door click open and then quietly close.

Natalie peeked into the kitchen. It was empty. She crossed to the back door just as Henry, the dog next door, began barking outside.

Natalie peeked out the door and saw her cousins' pause and Henry stopped barking, then Jack and Annie took off running towards the woods.

Natalie eased open the back door and closed it softly behind her. She could see Henry watching her, and motioned for the big black dog to be quiet. Henry stared at her then he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

Natalie smiled at Henry and started moving across the lawn, then stopped.

She glanced at the ring on her finger. The ring had belonged to Merlin, and he had told Natalie she could use the ring to talk to him, and vice versa. Natalie hadn't tried it yet but now seemed as good a time as any.

Natalie raised the ring to her lips. "Merlin?" She whispered. "Merlin, it's Natalie, can you hear me?" She felt a little silly, talking to her ring, but didn't know what else to do.

For a moment, there was silence, and then Natalie heard a whispered voice come from the blue stone in the ring. " _Yes Natalie, I hear you. What is happening?"_

Natalie's eyes widened. _Oh wow! It works!_ For a moment, Natalie was too excited to speak. Her ring was just like a magical walkie-talkie!

"Jack and Annie just snuck out of our house, and they're heading for the woods." Natalie said quietly as she reached the road and started running.

" _Then I will meet you in the study. Remember what I told you"_ Merlin replied.

"Okay, see you in a few minutes" Natalie whispered, skidding to a halt as she reached the Frog Creek Woods.

For a moment, Natalie paused as she eyed the dark woods. She shivered, remembering the cold feeling from yesterday. She took a deep breath to clear her mind and stepped off the street.

Jack and Annie were already way ahead of her and Natalie glanced around as she crept between the trees. _Where were they?_

"Gotcha!" Natalie jumped as she heard Annie's voice and saw a flash of light ahead of her. She darted behind a tree.

"Cut it out!" said Jack. He sounded annoyed.

"I scared you!" Annie giggled. Natalie rolled her eyes as she peered out from behind the tree. She couldn't see her cousin's faces, but she could see the flashlight beam. They were just ahead of her.

"Stop pretending!" Jack snapped angrily. "This is serious"

"Okay, okay," Annie said quickly as the pair moved farther and farther into the woods.

Natalie crept along behind them, zig-zagging from tree to tree. The woods were probably dark enough to hide her if her cousins turned around, but she didn't want to be caught by the light.

"Now what are you doing?" Natalie heard Jack ask as she saw Annie's flashlight beam sweep through the treetops.

"Looking for the tree house" Annie replied, and just as she finished speaking, the beam of light stopped moving.

Natalie smiled as she peeked out from behind a bush. There it was! The tree house, nestled in the topmost branches of the tallest oak tree in the woods.

As Natalie watched Annie shine her flashlight from the tree house down the rope ladder all the way to the ground, she suddenly felt a cold feeling on the back of her neck, like someone was watching her.

 _Just like I felt in dinosaur times!_ Natalie pulled her hood up. _Could Merlin's rival be nearby?_ She glanced behind her but didn't see anyone else.

"I'm going up" Natalie heard Annie say and saw her start climbing.

"Wait!" Jack said. But Annie kept climbing.

"Annie! Come back!" Jack called. Natalie noticed he sounded worried. Did he feel also feel like he was being watched? Natalie gave a shudder as she glanced around again. Still nothing, but Natalie was _sure_ that there was someone else nearby.

Annie's flashlight disappeared. Natalie held her breath.

"No one's here!" Annie called down, and Natalie saw Jack start climbing up the ladder.

Natalie waited until he was near the top, then darted out from behind the bush and silently crossed the clearing to the oak tree. She waited until Jack was on the verge of entering the tree house, then reached out and pressed both her hands against the back, next to the rope ladder.

 _Here goes nothing._ Natalie thought as she took a deep breath and shut her eyes. "I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start." She said in a whispered, but very clear, voice.

For a few moments, Natalie didn't feel anything and began to worry. Had she said something wrong? Then suddenly she felt a flush of heat appear in her chest and rush down her arms to her hands and into the tree.

Natalie opened her eyes and saw that a large crack was running down the bark between her hands. Natalie gripped the bark and pulled like she was trying to pull the trunk apart and at the same time, stepped forward.

There was a low creak and a flash of light and Natalie was suddenly blinking in the light of hundreds of candles.

 _Cool!_ Natalie couldn't help but smile as she stepped out of the alcove and into Merlin's hidden study.

"Merlin?" Natalie called out the magician's name softly. "I'm here" Natalie lowered her hood and blew strands of her red hair out of her eyes.

There was a rustle of movement and Natalie's smile widened as Merlin strode out of another doorway opposite her. He was still wearing the long red robe and star-spangled hat he had been wearing yesterday. His long staff tapped the floor as he walked.

"Ah Natalie, welcome" Merlin smiled at her and Natalie felt her face flush. She still couldn't believe that this was the actual Merlin she had spent so much time reading about!

"Hi Merlin." Said Natalie, as she gave a small bow "My cousins are already in the tree house"

"Then let us see what they are up to" Merlin raised his staff and traced a glowing letter M in the air. He waved his staff and the M flashed once and noises suddenly seemed to come from it.

The glowing M was connected to a letter M that Merlin had carved in the floor of the magic tree house. It allowed Merlin to keep an eye on his rival, the tree house's creator, by letting them hear everything that happened inside the tree house.

Natalie heard thumping and creaking wood as her cousins moved around in the tree house above.

" _Remember the Tyrannosaurus?"_ Annie's voice asked

Natalie shuddered, she remembered the Tyrannosaurus Rex only _too well_! In the corner of her eye, she saw Merlin nod respectively.

" _Remember the picture of Frog Creek?"_ Annie said

" _Of course"_ Jack replied. Natalie nodded. Jack was referring to the picture of Frog Creek woods in a Pennsylvania book in the tree house. Jack and Annie could use the book to come back home if the tree house took them somewhere.

" _Here's my favorite,"_ Annie said and there was a rustling of pages.

Natalie frowned, trying to recall something Annie had said yesterday. "I think Annie's talking about a book on medieval castles," She said to Merlin.

The wizard nodded. "I believe I know the book she is referring to"

"You think they're going to travel somewhere again?" Natalie asked, starting to feel uneasy. As fun as the last adventure had been, it had also been very dangerous. Natalie winced as she remembered the flashing teeth and the hungry roar of the Tyrannosaurus. She was in no hurry to go through something like that again.

"Perhaps" A frown crossed Merlin's face as he turned to Natalie. "If they do, are you willing to travel after them and help them from the shadows in order to ensure they return safely?"

"Yes, of course" Natalie nodded. Even though she wasn't as close to her cousins as she had been to her parents, they were still family and Natalie had been raised to believe that nothing was more important.

Merlin gazed at her for a moment then nodded. "Forgive me Natalie. I just do not want you to feel like this is something you _have_ to do. After what happened yesterday, I would understand if you chose to remain behind this time. No one would judge you a coward"

Natalie shook her head. "Thanks Merlin, but I can't do that. Aunt Mary and Uncle William would never forgive me if something happened to Jack and Annie. Besides, I'm the only one in a position to help them, so if I don't, who will?"

Merlin smiled. "Such bravery, from one so young, you would put many Camelot knights to shame, Natalie"

Natalie giggled and felt her cheeks heat up. "Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far"

" _Annie, close that book"_ Jack's voice drew their attention back to the M. " _I know what you're thinking!"_

 _Here we go!_ Natalie thought. Annie was about to make a wish!

" _Don't, Annie!"_ Jack's voice seemed desperate. Natalie saw Merlin raise his staff.

Annie must have ignored Jack because she said _"I wish we could see this guy for real"_

" _No, we do…!"_ Jack shouted, but his voice was suddenly cut off as Merlin muttered some words Natalie could not hear and the tip of his staff glowed.

The M glowed in response and went silent. Natalie couldn't hear any noise coming from it.

Natalie frowned. "What just happened?" She asked.

"I froze them," Merlin said.

"You _what?"_ Natalie gasped.

Merlin nodded. "Freezing time, like I did yesterday, drains my power, so I simply froze your cousins in time instead. It is much less taxing on my abilities"

"If you say so," said Natalie. Personally she couldn't see the difference, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Regardless, we do not have much time." Merlin turned to Natalie, moving a little stiffly. "Are you ready?" He asked.

Natalie bit her lip as she heard the strain in his voice. In truth, she was scared, and she still had a lot of questions, but she realized that stopping time must take a lot out of Merlin. She could always ask him when she got back.

"Yes," Natalie nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing down the fear now rising in her gut.

Merlin nodded, then swung his staff in the air and pointed it at her. A cloud of black and while poured from the tip and swarmed around Natalie, she closed her eyes as she felt herself being lifted into the air.

" _Neeeee-hhhhh!"_ Natalie jumped as she suddenly heard what sounded like a horse's neigh coming from next to her. She felt her feet touch the ground again and opened her eyes, glancing down at herself.

Natalie was now a knight! She was dressed from head to toe in shining metal armor, complete with chain mail under steel plates under a blue-black tunic. Her hands were covered in metal gauntlets and her feet were encased in metal shoes with spurs on the back. A large sword hung from a belt around her waist and one of her hands clutched the reigns of a large black horse that was also armored. The horse's armor was decorated with strips of dark blue cloth that seemed to flutter as the animal moved.

"Wow! This is cool!" Natalie said, her voice ringing inside her new helmet. She raised an armored hand to lift the visor up and gazed down at her new outfit.

"Yes." Merlin's voice made Natalie look up, and she saw that she was now as big as he was. "You should have no trouble blending in"

"As long as I don't have to talk" Natalie giggled. She may be bigger, but her voice still sounded like a young girl. Then, as she gazed at the sword hanging from her belt, a thought struck her and she frowned. "I won't actually have to fight with this sword, will I? 'Cause I don't know _anything_ about sword fighting"

Merlin shook his head, but Natalie could see concern on his face. "Hopefully you will not have to use your sword, but if you must, then watch your opponent carefully, save your strength, and let them tire themselves out"

Natalie nodded, but she desperately hoped she wouldn't have to fight anyone. The sword strapped to her waist suddenly felt very heavy.

The horse snorted and shifted on its feet. The sound of its hooves echoed on the stone floor of the study. Natalie thought it seemed nervous too.

"Hey, don't worry," Natalie said soothingly, patting the horse's nose softly. "It's gonna be okay" The animal turned to look at her. Its big eyes were soft and dark. Natalie held out her armored hand and the horse placed its muzzle into it.

Recalling what she had learned from reading about horses, Natalie placed her left foot in the stirrup and swung herself into the horse's saddle. She thought it would be harder with armor, but her new body must be stronger than she thought because it didn't seem to be a problem.

The horse started to move backward but Natalie clicked her teeth and pulled gently on the reigns and the animal came to a stop.

"Head for the castle when you arrive" Merlin said, he had retreated to his carved chair. "That is probably where your cousins will go. And remember, no one can know who you really are!"

"Right!" Natalie nodded, before reaching up and closing the visor of her helmet.

"Good luck" She could barely hear Merlin through her helmet, but through the slits of her visor she saw him raise his staff and both Merlin and the study vanished.

Natalie shut her eyes as light flooded her vision, but the light quickly subsided and she blinked them open. Through her visor, she could now see dark trees, and she guessed she was now in Frog Creek Woods.

Natalie's horse whinnied and Natalie reached forwards to stroke the animal on the neck.

"A knight!" A tiny voice made Natalie glance up. A light was shining in her eyes and she was forced to look away. She guessed that it was Annie, shining the light down from the tree house.

The horse whinnied again and the wind suddenly began to moan. Natalie could hear the sound of trembling leaves echo inside her helmet.

Her horse tried to move away from the tree, but Natalie firmly pulled the reigns back and the horse stopped. Flashes of light began to fill Natalie's vision and everything suddenly seemed to be spinning around her.

Natalie shut her eyes tightly and kept a firm grip on the reigns of her horse. She could feel the animal standing very still. She reached forward and wrapped one gloved hand around the horse's mane, stroking it gently.

Then everything was calm. Completely calm.

Natalie could feel cool moist air flow through the holes in her visor. She looked around, but everything seemed to be shrouded in thick fog.

" _Neeee-hhhhh!"_ The horse neighed again and Natalie started as she saw a large castle appear out of the fog ahead of her.

Natalie glanced around. She was surrounded by trees, but it was so foggy out that Natalie couldn't see if any of them held the tree house. Remembering Merlin's instructions, Natalie squeezed the horse's sides and the animal broke into a canter, moving quickly through the fog towards the castle.

 _I don't like this. I hope I can find Jack and Annie quickly!_ Natalie thought as her horse left the trees and trotted up to the castle walls.

Natalie saw to her relief that the bridge that could be raised and lowered over the moat (the drawbridge, she thought it was called) was down and the metal bars that blocked the doorway (the portcullis) were up.

A piercing screech made Natalie stop suddenly and she glanced upwards just in time to see a hawk wing its way over the walls. Nearby, she saw a windmill perched right on the edge of a tower. Its blades were as still as the air.

Natalie glanced around as her horse shifted impatiently. There was still no sign of Jack and Annie, but she could hear what sounded like drums and horns coming from inside the castle.

 _Maybe they're in the castle already,_ Natalie thought. She turned her horse back towards the castle gates and rode onto the bridge that spanned the moat. The fog was so thick that she couldn't even see the water in the moat.

Natalie galloped under the portcullis and found herself in a small courtyard lit by torches high on the walls.

The courtyard was full of people in patched clothing moving quickly in all directions across the gray cobblestones. Most were heading towards the main castle building (Natalie thought it was called a Keep) and all of them were carrying something, whole pigs, pies, vegetables and fruit, and thick loaves of bread.

Natalie stared as she saw two boys no older than Jack pass near her carrying a large tray between them with a peacock on it, complete with all of its feathers. The bird did not move and Natalie had the impression it was no longer alive. _They eat peacocks?_ She thought in disbelief. _Ewww!_

Natalie's horse snorted, drawing Natalie out of her dazed state.

 _I'd better move before I attract attention;_ she thought and she slowly began riding towards the castle keep, her helmeted head turning left and then right, searching for any sign of her cousins, a dark corner perhaps or a shadow large enough for a kid to hide in. She saw plenty of shadows and dark corners, but none of them contained a pair of children in jeans and sweatshirts.

"Well met, ser!" Natalie started when she realized another knight had ridden up alongside her. His armor was similar to hers, only his tunic was white with a red cross. He had already removed his helmet and his long blonde hair seemed to shine in the torchlight.

Natalie felt her cheeks heat up under her helmet, this knight was _very_ handsome. "Hast thou cometh for the feast?" He asked, his voice was full of laughter.

Natalie knew that her voice had not changed along with her size, and she doubted she could have said anything around this handsome knight, so she just nodded her head.

"Splendid! I am Ser Roland, Guardian of the Castle of Droonwick and Knight of the Realm!" The white knight slapped his breastplate. "Who art thou?"

Natalie kept silent, thinking frantically for a way to dodge this question.

Ser Roland raised an eyebrow. "Can thou not speak?" He asked.

Seeing a way out, Natalie shook her head.

"Hmmm" The knight frowned, looking Natalie up and down. "Thou wearst black armor and thou cannot speak, thou art clearly hiding something."

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie tensed. Had she blown her cover already? Should she try to say something?

"Yes, thou disguise fools me not!" Ser Roland's mouth curled into a frown and his hand dropped to his sword.

 _Oh great! He's going for his sword! Come on Natalie, think of something!_ Natalie bit her lip, thinking frantically, but her mind had gone blank.

Ser Roland drew his sword, the blade shone in the torchlight.

"NO!" Natalie cried out desperately in a deep voice, raising both hands in the air.

"Aha!" Ser Roland cried triumphantly "So thou _can_ speak after all!"

"Yes," Natalie grunted, wincing as her throat started hurting. _Man, I hope I don't have to talk like that often,_ she thought, making a note to ask Merlin to alter her voice as well in the future.

Ser Roland laughed and clapped Natalie on the shoulder, metal rang against metal. "Wondrous Well! Come, we shalt go in together!"

Before Natalie could respond, the knight shouted at two boys who were standing near them. "Tend to our horses!" He ordered and the boys moved forward and took hold of the horse's bridles.

"Come ser! Tis a crime to be late, and we already are!" Ser Roland cried as he dismounted, though it looked more like he sprang down from his horse.

Natalie dismounted more slowly, casting one last look around the courtyard as the two boys lead the horses away. There was still no sign of Jack or Annie.

"Ser!" Natalie turned to see Ser Roland staring back at her from the castle doors. "Are thou going to stand there all night? Come!"

Seeing no other option, Natalie followed the white-clad knight up the steps and into the main castle. Passing through the main gate, they joined the sea of people streaming through a set of doors on their left.

Natalie felt her jaw drop. "The great hall" She gasped in awe as she stared at the bright and noisy room before her. A large fire blazed in a massive fireplace at one end of the room. Antlers, rugs, and colorful flags and banners hung from the walls. Flowers and straw covered the floor.

The room was filled with long wooden tables that were crowded with food. Men and woman dressed in capes and furs sat around these tables on long benches while boys in short dresses kept placing platters full of food on them. Dogs prowled around the edges of the room, snapping up scraps that had fallen and fighting for bones under the tables.

"Tssk" Ser Roland snorted beside Natalie. "A simple feast this be" He said, shaking his head. He looked disappointed.

Natalie couldn't see what was wrong with this feast, it was amazing! Like something straight out of a history book!

She smiled as she watched people in brightly colored clothing stroll amongst the tables, playing musical instruments, or juggling brightly colored balls or balancing swords or knives on their hands.

Nearly every table was crowded and the sound of merry chatter and laughter was everywhere. Natalie saw that they did not use utensils; all the people were eating with their fingers.

 _Dad, you would have loved to see this!_ Natalie thought happily as she moved away from the door. Her father had studied medieval culture in great detail.

"So ser, what does thou think of this feast?" Ser Roland asked.

Before Natalie could answer, the hall suddenly grew silent. Everyone was staring at a table along the far wall that was set higher than the others. A richly-dressed man had gotten to his feet, a golden goblet was clutched in his hand.

Natalie's eyes widened as he saw the golden band of metal that circled the man's head. _Oh my gosh! Is he a king?_ She wondered.

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" The man said, and his voice seemed to echo through the silent hall. No one else moved or spoke, not even the dogs.

"Who is that?" Natalie whispered to Ser Roland.

"The Duke, he is the master of this castle" Ser Roland whispered back and bowed his head. "I know him well, we are old friends"

Natalie let out a small sigh of relief as he bowed her head as well. The man wasn't a king, but he was still very important.

"I would like to propose a toast, to my beloved wife, on this her 20th birthday" The duke turned to a beautiful woman sitting next to you. She was wearing a dress of light blue with a white veil over her hair. "May her beauty and kindness touch us all!"

"Hear! Hear!" The assembled men and women raised their goblets and cheered. The woman smiled and blushed at the praise.

Natalie smiled and nodded her head. The Duke's wife did look very beautiful.

 _Hmm,_ Natalie wondered. _A duke's wife is called a duchess, right? I should probably look that up._ She made a point to research more on castles when she got home.

"Let the feasting continue!" The duke proclaimed. The other people in the hall cheered as he sat back down and smiled at his wife.

The musicians began to play again, but this time with more energy than before. Servants appeared from out of nowhere carrying big platters of food. Natalie recognized the two boys from before carrying the peacock, which they set before the duke and those with him.

"Ah, now this be more like it!" Ser Roland commented, strolling towards one of the tables. Natalie moved to one side of the doorway, but remained standing, scanning the room for any sign of Jack and Annie. She didn't think they would be _here_ , but it couldn't hurt to be alert.

"Ser, come, and join us!" Ser Roland called from the table, he had just taken a seat and now he and several others were gazing her way.

Natalie hesitated. Sitting down and eating with them would involve her taking off her helmet, or at least removing her visor, and she didn't want anyone here knowing she was really a girl. That probably wouldn't go over well.

 _But I can't just refuse him,_ Natalie realized. She wasn't exactly sure how people were supposed to behave in this time. By refusing their invitation, she might accidentally insult them, and cause a scene.

"Come ser! The food grows cold while you stand there staring!" Ser Roland yelled louder. His companions laughed. Natalie grimaced as several people from nearby tables glanced up at the noise.

Fear of making a scene suddenly overcame her fear of being discovered and Natalie began moving towards Ser Roland and his new friends.

A sudden shout behind her made Natalie glance back towards the door, from her position, she could just make out a man standing in the doorway carrying a tray of pies. He was glaring at something Natalie could not see.

"Who art thou?" The man asked angrily. Natalie sighed and glanced away. He was probably just yelling at one of the boys who were serving food.

"Jack" Natalie froze as she heard a tiny voice answer the man.

"Annie" A second voice squeaked. As Natalie spun around, she heard the sound of someone running away.

Natalie strode to the doorway, past the pie man, who saw her coming and moved aside. She turned to look where the man had been looking and saw two small figures dash down the dimly lit corridor.

Natalie's heart quickened. _Jack and Annie!_ It had to be them! Natalie started after them, colliding with the pie man in the process, and knocking his tray to the floor. Ignoring the pie man's outburst, Natalie walked down the corridor as fast as she could, her metal shoes making her footsteps echo along the hall.

Natalie glanced back as she walked. Good! No one was following her, though she saw the pie man speaking angrily to what looked like a castle guard.

Natalie looked forward again, and then stopped dead. Jack and Annie were gone!

 _Where did they go?_ Natalie thought desperately as she glanced around the hallway. There were a few doors leading off the hallway, but none of them looked like they had been opened.

 _Darn it!_ Natalie slapped a metal hand against her thigh, metal rang against metal.

"Good ser?" Natalie jumped as she heard a familiar voice behind her and turned to see Ser Roland standing behind her. "Is something wrong?"

 _Besides you giving me a heart attack?_ Natalie thought, trying to stop her legs from shaking. She shook her head at the knight hoping he would leave her alone.

"Sirs!" Both knights looked up to see three men approaching, clad in armor, but with helmets without visors. One man with squinty eyes held a torch, the second man had a very red face and the third had a droopy mustache.

"Did thou see two strangers come this way?" The man with the mustache asked.

"Strangers?" Ser Roland raised an eyebrow. "Describe them" He demanded.

"Two children, the way we heard it." The red-faced man said, "Dressed in strange garments."

Natalie felt her heart sink, they must be referring to Jack and Annie! Jeans and sweatshirts _would_ look strange to these people.

"I have seen nothing of the sort!" Ser Roland snorted.

"Nor have I" Natalie barked in her deep voice. She grimaced afterward. Her throat was starting to hurt.

Just then, Natalie's gaze fell to one of the doors behind the men, and her eyes widened under her helmet. Through the crack between the door and the floor, Natalie could see a small light moving beyond it, _like from a flashlight_!

Thinking quickly, Natalie stepped forward. "Wait, I remember now! I did see someone strange!" She spoke in her deep voice.

"Really?" Ser Roland looked surprised.

"Where?" One of the guards demanded.

"The stranger ran down that hallway!" Natalie said, pointing in the opposite direction from the door.

"They did, eh?" The man with the torch asked.

Natalie pointed again, this time more urgently. "Yes, and if thou wish to catch them, thou should hurry!" Natalie made a face under her helmet; her throat was really hurting now. She wondered if it was worth sneaking a drink from the feast to try to sooth her throat.

"Thank Thee, ser!" The men started to move in the direction Natalie was pointing in.

Just then, Natalie heard a sound that made her blood run cold, the unmistakable sound of lots of metal hitting a stone floor, and it was coming from the room where the light had been!

"What in heaven's name was that?" Ser Roland gasped as all five of them turned towards the doorway.

"Wait here," The man with the torch said to them, as the three guards approached the door cautiously.

 _Oh please, please, don't let Jack and Annie be in there!_ Natalie silently pleaded.

One of the guards, the one with the mustache, yanked open the door and exclaimed angrily. He reached into the room and pulled out a young girl who was struggling hard.

Natalie felt her heart stop. It was Annie!

"Let me go!" Annie yelled and kicked her captor.

"Stop that!" The guard ordered her. Annie stopped kicking, but she still glared daggers at the guard as he held her.

The red-faced guard had gone into the room and was now bringing out a boy with dark hair. It was Jack! He seemed dazed.

Natalie started to move towards them, but Ser Roland blocked her path. "Good ser, I pray thee stay back!" He hissed. "Tis a dark thing we see"

 _No kidding!_ Natalie was trying not to panic. _That's why I need to get over there!_ Natalie tried to get past the knight again, but he grabbed her shoulder and held it with an iron grip.

"Who art thou?" The red-faced guard demanded to Jack and Annie

"Spies? Foreigners? Egyptians? Romans? Persians?" The squinty-eyed guard said.

 _Seriously?_ Natalie rolled her eyes under her visor. This guy was making no sense!

"No you dummies!" Annie said. Apparently she thought the same way

"Arrest them!" The red-faced guard said

"To the dungeon!" The guard with the torch said and Natalie watched helplessly as the three guards marched Jack and Annie away.

She saw Jack glance back her direction. _Jack! I'm here! Don't worry! I'll get you out of this, somehow!_ Natalie thought desperately. But Jack was shoved roughly by the guard and he resumed walking.

"Dummies! Meanies! We didn't do anything!" Annie's voice echoed down the hallway as they faded from view. It was followed by mocking laughter from all three guards.

Natalie felt her blood begin to boil and made to follow after them, but found Ser Roland blocking her path again. "Ser, what is the problem?" He asked.

 _Oh, just leave me alone!_ Natalie whined in her head. She tried to move past him, but he blocked her again. He was no longer smiling. "Ser, I beg thee, tell me what troubles you!" He said.

Natalie paused, considering her best action. She wasn't sure if she could rescue Jack and Annie on her own, but she didn't feel like she could completely trust this knight yet.

"This is wrong," She said finally in a deep voice, pointing in the direction that Jack and Annie had been taken. "They are children, not spies!"

The knight nodded and turned to gaze down the hallway. "Methinks you be correct ser, but there be nothing _we_ can do. They do wear strange garments, and now that they are imprisoned, only a word from the duke can release them"

 _We'll see about that!_ Natalie thought, but then paused as an idea came to her. "Methinks maybe one of us should speak to the duke about this" She turned to the knight.

Ser Roland raised an eyebrow, but he smiled in a way that told Natalie that he understood what she was getting at. "Thou wants me to plead for their release?" He asked.

Natalie nodded. Even if this knight was unable to get the Duke to release Jack and Annie, he could keep the Duke distracted long enough for _her_ to free them.

The knight looked thoughtful but then he finally nodded. "I make no promises ser, but I will do what I can"

"Thank thee," Natalie said, then turned and began walking towards a set of stairs by the main doors that lead up.

"Where art thou going now?" Ser Roland called behind her.

Natalie paused, and turned back to face him. "I must change" She growled. As soon as she said that, Natalie felt stupid. _Really? That's the best you can come up with?_ She thought. "I do not wish to eat with my armor on" She added, hoping that would make more sense.

Ser Roland tilted his head. "Why didst thou not say this sooner?" He asked

Natalie struggled to come up with a suitable answer and decided on the truth. "Methinks it would have hurt thy feelings," She said.

Ser Roland burst out laughing. "Thou art a man of few words ser, but thou speakith well in other ways. Go and change out of thy armor, I shall see thee again soon" With that, he turned and strode back into the great hall.

 _Maybe you will,_ Natalie smiled under her visor. He was a nice guy after all.

To play it safe, Natalie actually started up the first few steps, then, when she was sure the knight was staying inside the great hall, she quickly doubled back and quickly made her way down the hallway that the guards had gone down.

The hallway led to a narrow, spiral staircase that went both up and down and Natalie paused. Dungeons were usually in the basement of a castle, she remembered that much from reading about castles.

Natalie started to go down the stairs that lead downwards but had not gotten very far when she heard a voice. "Ta-da!"

Natalie paused, that was Annie's voice! Natalie began going down the stairs faster.

"My magic wand!" Annie suddenly yelled from down below. "Get down or I'll wipe you out!"

 _Huh?_ _What in the world is Annie doing?_ Natalie wondered as she moved down the stairs and found herself facing a large open doorway. Inside, she could see a room with chains hanging from the walls. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming puddles on the stone floor.

Natalie saw the three guards from before standing very still. Their backs were to her. The torch they had held was on the floor.

 _Maybe I could rush in and subdue them!_ Natalie thought, but quickly dismissed that idea, it would be three against one and Natalie didn't know how to fight.

Jack and Annie were standing near the center of the dungeon. Annie was holding her flashlight like it was a torch.

As Natalie watched, the beam of the flashlight shone on each guard in turn. Each of them howled and covered their face.

"Down! All of you! Get Down!" Annie's voice yelled.

Natalie bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud, as one by one each of the guards lay down on the dungeon floor. _Nice one Annie!_ She thought.

The light suddenly disappeared. "Come on, let's go!" Annie said.

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie thought as she suddenly realized she was standing in front of the only way out.

As Annie turned back to call "Hurry!" to Jack, Natalie flattened herself against the wall, praying that her dark armor would let her blend in with the shadows.

She heard her cousins run past her up the steps, but before she could follow them, she heard angry shouting coming from behind her.

"Wether didst they goith?" One of the guards yelled

"They tricked us!" The second guard cried

"The stairs!" Natalie quickly flattened against the wall again, holding her breath as the three furious guards rushed past her and up the stairs, shouting for more soldiers and dogs to track the spies.

 _I think we've overstayed our welcome here._ Natalie thought grimly as she headed for the stairs a moment later. _I've got to find my cousins and get them out of here!_

Natalie glanced into the cold dungeon cell and shivered. She turned to leave.

 _Wait, what was that?_ Natalie paused as a glint caught her eye. The torch, which one of the guards must have dropped, was still dimly lit and the light was shining off of something on the cell floor.

Natalie turned and stepped into the dungeon. Bending down, she plucked something off of the floor. It felt like a key. Maybe it had belonged to one of the guards.

Shrugging, Natalie turned to leave. She had just stepped out of the dungeon when she froze. The stairway before her was suddenly bathed in fiery light.

Natalie's heart fluttered as a figure holding a torch appeared above her, Ser Roland!

"Ah ser, I have found thee at last!" The white-clad knight gaped at Natalie. "What is thou…?" The knight stopped talking as his gaze moved past Natalie to the open door and the empty cell beyond.

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie thought as she watched the knight's surprised look fade away, and a look of anger take its place.

"Where are the strangers?" Ser Roland demanded.

"I do not know!" Natalie growled, deepening her voice. Technically this was true.

"Do not lie to me, ser!" Ser Roland glare made Natalie wince. "Thou hast freed them!" He stepped forward and Natalie felt herself move backwards, back into the dungeon.

"No!" Natalie protested, placing a finger against her throat, which was really hurting now.

"Thou used me as a decoy so thou could free thy fellow spies, admit it!" Ser Roland roared as he appeared in the doorway. He reached up and placed his torch in an empty bracket.

"No!" Natalie shook her head. She made to move past him, but Ser Roland seemed to be guarding the doorway.

"Liar!" The knight's hand snaked to his sword and he drew it. "Thou art a spy as well, and thou shall pay for thy deception!"

"I never sought to use thee!" Natalie begged, her eyes traveling from the knight's angry face to the sword in his hand. "Ser, I pray thee, stand aside!"

"And let thee escape to rejoin thy comrades, I think not!" The white knight snapped, his sword blade flashing in the flickering torchlight.

Natalie stared at the naked sword in the knight's hand and sighed. She didn't want to do this, but she couldn't see any other way out. Every moment she delayed here was another moment Jack and Annie were alone and in danger. The castle was surely in an uproar by now.

With a heavy heart, her hand gripped the handle of her own sword and slowly drew it out, wincing as she heard metal slide against metal.

Ser Roland's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the sword in Natalie's hands. "So, thou seeks a challenge with me?" He growled.

"I have no quarrel with thee" Natalie growled back "But thou is in my way, and I cannot allow that!"

Ser Roland gave an ugly laugh. "Thou thinks thou is skilled enough to defeat me?"

 _Not skilled enough,_ Natalie thought, _but maybe lucky enough_.

"We shall see" She growled, bracing herself.

"So be it! Prepare to face thy doom!" Ser Roland stepped forward, sword raised. "Have at thee!" He lunged.

 _Yikes!_ Natalie raised her own sword, blocking the knight's attack, but the force still sent her staggering backwards. The knight growled and pressed his attack, forcing Natalie away from the door.

 _For someone in heavy armor, this guy moves pretty quick!_ Natalie thought as she desperately blocked one sword slash after another. She frantically tried to remember what Merlin had told her about sword-fighting.

" _If you must fight, study your opponent's movements carefully and let him tire himself out"_ The magician's voice rang in her mind.

 _I don't have to win_ , Natalie thought, _I just have to get past him!_

Natalie began to move backwards, dodging or blocking blow after blow, trying to lure the knight away from the door. The knight followed her, but when Natalie tried to move past him, he forced her back. He matched Natalie move for move, as if he sensed that she was trying to escape.

"Stand and fight me, you coward!" Ser Roland roared angrily, his voice echoing through the room.

Natalie became worried that someone upstairs might hear them. If any guards or knights came down here to see what was happening, Natalie would be in even more trouble.

 _I have to end this now!_ She thought, and as she blocked another blow, she subtly glanced around looking for some way to disable the knight long enough to get past him.

Then her eyes fell upon one of the chains that lined the walls. Unlike many of the others, this chain was attached to the wall at ground level.

 _Hmm, I wonder…_ Natalie thought as she blocked Ser Roland's attack again.

Pushing with all her strength, Natalie shoved herself away from the knight, moving backwards until she was standing over the chain.

Natalie pretended to stagger, which wasn't hard. Her arms and legs were beginning to ache from weaving and blocking. She fell to her knees, her breathing echoed loudly inside her helmet and Natalie could feel sweat dripping down her face. Silently reaching out with the key, she found the manacle of the chain and slipped the key into the hole. She turned it and the manacle sprang open.

 _Yes! Perfect!_ Natalie smiled under her helmet.

Ser Roland's triumphant cry made Natalie look up. The knight was panting as well and his face was red. But he grinned wickedly. "I have thee now!" He cried, stalking forwards.

 _We'll see about that!_ Natalie thought as she braced herself. She had already wasted enough time. Jack and Annie could be fighting other knights right now. She _had_ to find them!

Ser Roland lunged, and as he did, Natalie spun, dodging the knight's blade. As Ser Roland flew past her, Natalie's hand came down on his back and she shoved him forwards.

With a cry of surprise, Ser Roland was flung against the wall. He slammed into it and slid to the floor. Moving quickly, Natalie grabbed the chain and wrapped it around Ser Roland's legs and snapped the manacle shut over his ankle. Moving quickly, Natalie rushed to the torch on the wall, yanked it off of its bracket and threw it to the floor. It fell into a puddle of water and went out.

The cell was plunged into darkness, broken only by the rattling of the chain and the angry scream of Ser Roland. Natalie threw the key into a dark corner of the cell away from the noise and leapt through the doorway.

"COWARD! Come back here! Release me!" Ser Roland cried out as Natalie pulled the heavy iron door shut.

"Sorry about this" Natalie muttered as she pulled a large wooden bar across the door to keep it locked.

Ser Roland's angry yells followed Natalie as she raced up the stairs, but she ignored them. She was more worried on finding her cousins.

When Natalie reached the long hallway, there were people running in all directions. Things were so chaotic that Natalie was barely glanced at.

 _Come on, think!_ Natalie paused near one of the doors that lead off the hall. _If I were Jack and Annie, what would I do?_ Natalie's eyes fell on the doors. _Yeah, hide until the coast was clear and_ _ **then**_ _find a way out!_

Grabbing a lit torch from the wall, Natalie started down the hallway, opening each door she came across. They lead to storerooms, armories, and bedrooms. Each looked undisturbed until she came to one particular door.

When she opened this door, she found it lead to a storeroom. Her gaze flew amongst sacks and barrels, but came to a stop in the middle of the room. One of the stones from the floor had been removed and a wooden door was lying open underneath it.

Closing the door behind her, Natalie dashed to the open door in the floor. The light of the torch revealed a small ladder leading down into darkness. _A secret passage!_ Natalie gasped. _Cool!_

Lifting her visor, Natalie got down on her knees and tilted her head, listening intently.

 _There!_ Natalie could hear faint noises coming from the darkness in the passage, like someone moving inside it.

Faint whispers seeped from the tunnel "Where are we? What do you see?" Natalie smiled. She was certain it was Annie's voice.

 _Great! I found them! Now I just have to figure out where this tunnel goes._ Natalie thought.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall the castle layout based on what she had seen.

SPLASH! Natalie's eyes opened as an unmistakable sound echoed through the tunnel

Natalie paused as she heard Annie call out something.

SPLASH! The sound came again.

"The moat" Natalie suddenly realized. The tunnel must end at the moat and Jack and Annie must have fallen into it! _I'd better get outside, fast!_ Natalie thought, _but I should cover their tracks first._

Setting the torch down on the stone floor, Natalie grasped the wooden door leading to the tunnel and swung it shut, then lifted the stone from the floor and dropped it over the door, hiding it from view.

Grabbing the torch, Natalie dashed to the storeroom door and opened it, only to come face to face with one of the guards.

"You! Ser!" He barked and Natalie froze. "Did you find the spies?"

" _No!"_ Natalie said, making her voice deeper. She shook her head.

"Keep looking! The duke has ordered the spies found!" The guard growled, and then he smiled wickedly. "There's to be a reward for their capture!"

 _Oh, great!_ Natalie thought, _like things aren't bad enough already!_

" _Good!"_ Natalie huffed to the guard, nodding her head. A sudden thought struck her and he handed her torch to the guard. _"I…will…look…outside"_ She said to the guard, pointing to the door that lead out to the courtyard, then strode away before the guard could say anything else.

She half-expected to hear the guard call her back, but he never said a word as Natalie stepped out into the cold air.

The courtyard was nearly deserted, but she could see one of the two stable boys from before peering behind a stack of barrels nearby. No doubt he was searching for Jack and Annie.

"You!" Natalie barked in her deep voice. The boy jumped away from the barrels and looked up at her. " _My…Horse…Now!"_ She said, pointing towards the stable.

The boy didn't move.

Natalie was losing her patience. _"NOW!"_ She yelled, nearly dropping her disguised voice.

She placed a hand on her sword and drew it out part way so the bare metal of the blade gleamed in the torchlight.

The boy's eyes widened as he stared at the sword blade. He quickly turned and scampered into the stable.

 _Sorry about that!_ Natalie thought as she sheathed the blade. She hated having to scare him, but she was running out of time.

Seconds later, the boy returned, leading the black horse Natalie had ridden in on.

"Here you are, ser," He said nervously, his eyes traveled to the sheathed sword and he quickly bowed.

Now Natalie's throat really did hurt, so she simply nodded her thanks at the boy and quickly mounted. Taking the reins from the other boy, she squeezed her horse's side with her heels. The horse gave a whinny and took off across the courtyard.

As Natalie rode under the portcullis and over the drawbridge, she breathed a big sigh of relief.

 _Okay! Now to find my cousins!_ Natalie turned her horse to follow the moat and began to trot along the water's edge, peering through the thick mist, searching for any sign of Jack or Annie, but all she could see was fog.

Natalie suddenly paused as she heard a whinny, from another horse. Bringing her own horse to a stop, Natalie moved one hand to her sword and waited.

The sound of hooves echoed through the fog, growing louder.

Natalie struggled to remember what Merlin had told her about sword fighting. She desperately hoped that whoever it was would not force her to fight.

Natalie's heart sank as two knights appeared out of the fog, both heavily armored and riding large horses.

"Any sign of them?" The first knight, wearing green, said.

"No" The second knight, reading red, answered. "But I can barely see anything in this mist"

"Aye, but the duke hast ordered us to search, so we search" The green knight growled.

Natalie felt herself smile. Both knights must have been pulled away from the feast to hunt down Jack and Annie, and they didn't sound too happy about it.

Natalie's horse suddenly snorted.

"What was that?" The red knight looked right at Natalie, who willed her own horse to keep still.

"What was what?" The green knight stopped his horse and turned around.

"I heard a horse" The red knight tilted his head, still gazing right at Natalie.

The knight's horse snorted and shook its head.

"Thou art sitting on a horse, fool!" The green knight snapped.

"No, I heard one by the water" The red knight insisted.

Natalie held her breath as both knights stared directly at her. Even her horse seemed to freeze.

For a few moments, there was no sound.

"Aw, there's nothing there!" The green knight finally barked.

 _They can't see me!_ Natalie realized. Even though the knights were two feet away, her dark armor and the thick mist made her practically invisible.

"Come on!" Natalie silently thanked Merlin for her armor color as the two knights spurred their horses and took off, vanishing into the mist.

 _Of course, the knights may not be able to see me, but I can't see Jack and Annie either._ Natalie thought as she rode along in the opposite direction. _I'd probably ride right past them and not even know it!_

"Ahhh!" Natalie pulled up sharply as she heard a voice cry out. That had come from _behind_ her!

Natalie wheeled her horse around as she heard another voice whisper through the mist.

"It's me! Take my hand!" Natalie smiled. It was Annie! She and Jack must be close by! Natalie squinted into the mist, but couldn't see anything.

Her horse snorted and started moving, but Natalie pulled back firmly on the reins and the horse stopped.

 _Come on you guys! Where are you?_ Natalie glanced around desperately, but the mist was as thick as soup and as dark as night. Natalie couldn't even see the castle, much less the moat. Only the occasional splash told her it was nearby.

Natalie's horse started moving again and Natalie jerked back on the reins. The horse gave a loud whinny.

As if in response, the clouds above suddenly parted, and a full moon filled the air with silver light that cut right through the mist.

Natalie blinked in the sudden brightness, and then she saw them. A few feet away from her, at the water's edge, were two children, soaking wet and shivering. They stared up at her with wide eyes. It was Jack and Annie!

"It's him" Annie whispered. Jack didn't say anything, he just stared.

 _Oh Jack! Annie! You're alright!_ Natalie thought happily as she dismounted. She could feel tears building up in her eyes and blinked them away.

Natalie wanted to run over and hug her cousins, but instead she simply held out a gloved hand to them.

Annie's face brightened. "Come on Jack," She said starting to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Jack said.

"He wants to help us," Annie said.

 _Of course I do_! Natalie thought, holding her hand out to Annie.

"How do you know?" Jack still hadn't moved.

"I can just tell," Annie said, taking Natalie's hands and looking up at her.

Natalie smiled as she lifted Annie up and placed her on the front of her horse's saddle. The animal glanced back at its new passenger and Annie patted the horse on the neck.

Natalie turned back to Jack and help out her hand. Jack didn't move.

"Come on Jack" Annie called from the back of the horse.

 _Yeah Jack, come on!_ Natalie thought. _Let's get out of here!_

Slowly Jack rose to his feet and stumbled over to her like he was in a daze.

Natalie picked him up and placed him on her horse behind Annie, then she got back on behind Jack.

Natalie slapped the reins and the horse began cantering alongside the moonlit waters of the castle moat.

A hawk shrieked in the darkness and Natalie could see men with torches on the walls above. She leaned forward, shielding her cousins from view.

A whinny suddenly came from ahead of them and Natalie pulled her horse to a stop. She tapped her cousins on the shoulder and motioned for them to be quiet.

Another mounted knight appeared out of the fog, this one was clad in yellow armor. The red and green knights from before were trotting along behind him.

"I thought I heard something over here!" One of the knights shouted.

Natalie held her breath as the knights came closer. She felt Jack and Annie tense in front of her.

"Did you hear about Ser Roland?" The yellow knight suddenly said. Natalie perked up.

"I heard he locked himself in the dungeon" The red knight laughed.

"He claims that the black knight locked him up, the one he came in with." The yellow knight said. Natalie bit her lip.

"Maybe next time he will choose his friends with more care" The green knight chuckled.

"Come on! Let's keep looking!" The yellow knight spurred his horse and galloped off into the fog.

"Finding a knight in black on a night like this will be impossible" The red knight grumbled.

 _I hope you're right_ , Natalie thought. The two knights were so close she could have bitten them.

For a long while, the two knights just stood there. Their horses snorted and pawed the ground.

Natalie willed her own horse to remain quiet, the animal stood still as a statue.

"Come on!" One of the knights finally growled and both of them trotted away into the fog.

Jack and Annie let out sighs of relief, Natalie silently did the same.

"Let's go" Annie looked up at Natalie.

 _With pleasure,_ Natalie nodded and urged her horse forwards again.

"There's the tree house," Annie said. She was pointing to a grove of trees ahead.

 _Gotcha!_ Natalie steered her horse towards the trees, heading away from the castle walls.

"See? There it is!" Annie said as they reached the trees. With the help of the moon, Natalie could now easily see the rope ladder hanging from an oak tree ahead.

 _Thank goodness!_ Natalie thought as she brought her horse to a stop next to the ladder. She quickly dismounted and helped Annie down off the horse.

"Thank you sir," Annie said, smiling up at her. She bowed.

Natalie smiled as she helped Jack down. "Thank you," he said, and bowed as well.

 _You're welcome!_ Natalie thought happily as she got back on the horse. She pointed to the tree house firmly with her gloved hand, to make sure Jack and Annie understood they _had_ to go home now.

The two kids nodded and Natalie raised her hand in a farewell gesture. Then she snapped the reins and the horse took off, trotting away.

The light suddenly began to fade and Natalie glanced up to see clouds beginning to cover the moon again. She glanced back. She couldn't see the tree house anymore.

 _Okay, now what?_ Natalie thought, bringing her horse to a stop. The moon was now completely covered and a black mist seemed to swallow everything.

Natalie glanced around; she could barely see a thing. How was she supposed to get back home?

Just then she felt a cold wind begin to blow. Slowly at first, but getting louder, Natalie could hear the trees around her begin to groan.

 _Never mind!_ Natalie smiled as she felt a tingling feeling begin to spread around her body.

The misty world around her began to spin. Her horse whinnied and shifted beneath her. Natalie reached forward to pat it on the shoulder. "Don't worry" She said. "Everything's fine". The horse calmed down.

Natalie suddenly felt herself lift off the horse's back, she heard the animal whinny again, but this time it was softer. The horse looked up at her, its eyes were big and shiny.

"Goodbye, and thank you" Natalie raised her hand ran it through the animal's mane. The horse snorted and nodded its head at her.

The world around her was spinning faster now. Natalie closed her eyes and felt a smile as she heard the wind scream in her ears.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie opened her eyes, she was back in Merlin's secret study.

She glanced down at herself, her armor was gone and she was her regular size again.

"Welcome back" Natalie looked up to see Merlin sitting in his chair, smiling at her.

"Good to be back" Natalie smiled back.

"So, how was your adventure?" Merlin asked, leaning forward.

Taking a deep breath, Natalie told Merlin about all that had happened, how she had gone to the castle, how she had befriended Ser Roland, about Jack and Annie's capture and escape, how she had fought against Ser Roland, locking him in a dungeon cell and ended with her rescuing Jack and Annie from the castle moat.

"You did very well," Merlin said when Natalie had finished. "I am proud of you"

"But I didn't do very much," Natalie said. "Not like last time." Last time she had directly saved Jack and Annie from danger, this time all she did was help them back to the tree house. They had escaped from the real danger all on their own.

As if reading her thoughts, Merlin shook his head. "Do not discount what you did today Natalie. Any help given, no matter how small, is still important."

"You think so?" Natalie asked.

"Indeed," Merlin said. "It is true that Jack and Annie did better on this trip than on their last one, but while we can never truly know what would have happened, I have a feeling Jack and Annie would not have made it back without your assistance."

"But I feel like I could have done more." Natalie argued. "Maybe if I had spoken out earlier, when Jack and Annie had been found, then maybe they wouldn't have been arrested at all."

"It was a good thing that you did not," Merlin said, and his voice suddenly became serious. "Medieval Europe, while beautiful in some aspects, was very dangerous in others. During that time, people frowned on those who were different than themselves, and treated them with suspicion."

"No kidding" Natalie said, remembering how paranoid the castle guards had sounded when they had captured Jack and Annie.

"People during this time were also very superstitious. They feared what they could not explain, and what people fear, they often times grow to hate." Merlin continued. "If you had revealed yourself, there is a strong chance that you would have wound up in the dungeons alongside Jack and Annie, and then all three of you would have been at their mercy"

"Oh," Natalie gulped nervously.

"But you performed well" Merlin's smile was back. "You kept calm in a crisis and kept a clear mind when faced with danger. I know many a man who would not be capable of this"

Natalie smiled, but something was still bothering her.

Merlin seemed to sense it. "What is wrong?"

"I…" Natalie paused, searching for the right words. "I just don't understand Ser Roland's behavior." She said finally. "One minute he's acting like my best friend, the next minute he's trying to cut me in half. What's with that?"

Merlin rose from his chair and walked over to Natalie. Placing a hand on Natalie's shoulder, he said "This Ser Roland sounds to me like a clear follower of the code of chivalry that all knights are taught. This code teaches a knight to value four things, Honor, Honesty, Valor, and Loyalty."

Natalie giggled. "Well, I guess I wasn't completely honest with him, was I?"

Merlin smiled. "Perhaps not, but you were not entirely dishonest with him either. The code of chivalry values speaking the truth at all times, and from what I have heard, that is exactly what you did"

"But still, why did he try to kill me?" Natalie asked.

"Because his honor and loyalty to his liege lord compelled him to do so" Merlin explained, "He fought against you because in his eyes, you were an enemy. He may have thought you were plotting against his liege lord, he was compelled by the code o chivalry to defend his employer."

"Oh," Natalie hadn't thought of it like that.

"I suspect that Ser Roland had doubts about you from the start, but the code of chivalry forbids a knight from making offense, so rather than accuse you and risk being wrong and dishonoring himself, he decided to wait to learn more about you to see if he was right." Merlin said.

"So _that's_ why he was so friendly with me," Natalie said.

Merlin nodded. "Seeing you in the dungeon with an empty cell must have confirmed his suspicions. Once he saw that, he was honor-bound to confront you, for a knight must willing to vanquish deceit if he finds it, for the good of all"

"Which is why he challenged me," Natalie said. Ser Roland's behavior was suddenly making a lot more sense.

"Yes, he was not just fighting to avenge his own honor, but he was trying to protect everyone at the castle from your 'deception'."

"Wow," Natalie giggled. "I had no idea I was so dangerous!"

Merlin nodded. "Ser Roland may have been doing the wrong thing by keeping you away from Jack and Annie, but he did so for the right reasons"

Natalie suddenly paused. "Wait a minute" Something trickled up from her memory, something her father had once told her. "Doesn't the code of chivalry also mean that knights must respect the honor of women?"

Merlin nodded again. "This is true"

"So maybe if I _had_ told him who I was, I wouldn't have had to fight him at all!"

Merlin shook his head. "On the contrary, I think it would have made things worse. Like I said, people during this time were very superstitious, especially when it came to magic, up to the point where many were terrified of it."

"Oh," Natalie said, feeling dread creep up inside her.

Merlin nodded sadly. "If you had revealed your identity to Ser Roland, there is a chance he might have helped you, but more likely if would have only fueled his desire to stop you from rejoining your cousins, especially if word had reached him about what Annie had done. He would have seen Jack and Annie as witches and you as their accomplice. You did the right thing, Natalie"

"Speaking of Jack and Annie, I wonder what they're doing," said Natalie, looking up towards the ceiling.

Merlin raised his staff and traced an M in the air above them. The M flashed and Natalie listened for her cousin's voices. She didn't hear anything.

"It sounds like your cousins have already departed," Merlin said. "And you should do the same. Go get some rest, and prepare for next time"

"You think there'll _be_ a next time?" Natalie asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh yes" Merlin smiled mysteriously. "I am certain of it"

"Then I guess I'll see you next time," Natalie said.

"Until next time" Merlin gave Natalie a small bow, which Natalie returned before he sat down in his chair and closed his eyes.

Natalie moved to the opening in the walls that lead outside. Placing both hands on the wall, she stepped forwards. There was a creak and a flash of light and she found herself standing outside.

The air was warm and dark. Natalie glanced up at the darkened tree house before smiling and heading for home, threading her way through the gray-black trees.

She reached her street and glanced both ways. It was empty, completely deserted.

Natalie reached her aunt and uncle's house just in time to see her cousins sneak in through the back door.

 _Home again_. Natalie thought, smiling. She waited a few seconds, then crept across the lawn herself and unlocked the back door with her own key.

Inside, Natalie quietly crept up the stairs and got to the top just in time to see Jack and Annie go into their separate bedrooms.

Natalie heard water running in the bathroom next to the top of the stairs, so she scurried down the hall to her own bedroom and shut the door behind her.

She leaned against the door until she heard heavy footsteps head down the hall towards the master bedroom.

Sighing with relief, Natalie took off her clothes and slipped back into her pajamas. She crawled into bed and sighed happily.

Her aunt and uncle's house seemed so much different from that castle. Sure it was smaller, but it seemed safer. It was cozy, and warm, and for a moment, just a moment, Natalie forgot that it was her aunt and uncle's house.

 _Home is where the heart is_. Natalie thought to herself and smiled. That phrase had been a favorite of her mother's.

Natalie nodded. This house was definitely a lot safer than that dark castle. Natalie wondered for a moment how anyone could even live comfortably inside such a structure. It was horrid!

An image of Ser Roland's smiling face appeared in her mind and Natalie could feel her cheeks warm up a little. _Well, maybe not_ _ **all**_ _of it was horrid_ , she admitted to herself. Even if Ser Roland had fought with her, he was only doing his duty.

Snuggling under the covers, Natalie sighed. _It was fun being a knight in shining armor_. She thought to herself, _but I prefer being here._

Natalie wasn't expecting to sleep at all, but to her surprise, her eyes closed almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She dreamed of being a knight again, riding her black horse alongside the handsome Ser Roland through the misty night beyond the castle walls.

As the two of them rode over a misty hill, two other knights appeared out of the gloom, one red and one green. Natalie tensed, ready for another fight, but the knights lifted their visors and Natalie smiled.

The red knight was Jack and the green knight was Annie. Jack smiled at her while Annie winked.

Natalie nodded at them, and then snapped the reigns of her horse, which reared up and neighed loudly. The other three horses neighed in response and all four of them took off riding through the mist towards the full moon that hung in the night sky.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **They say it's hard to follow an original writing. And now I know this is true! I must have re-written this particular book 5 times before I was satisfied!**

 **One thing that I tried to emphasize in this story was the code of chivalry that Knights were meant to follow. If you think about it, Natalie acts kind of like a knight herself, putting her own life on the line to help protect her cousins, the only difference is that she isn't really doing this for any kind of reward, or is she?**

 **Also, I apologize if my usage of medieval English is not correct. My spell-checker kept trying to correct the problem, so it isn't entirely my fault.**

 **My original version of this story did not include any sword-fighting, but I decided to include it on the suggestion of Draconos 13, who thought it would make it more interesting. I think he was right!**

 **As always, please let me know what you think!**

 **Until Nest Time!**


	3. Mummies in the Morning

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

 **By Tang Ri Shan**

Mummies in the Morning

Natalie crept through the trees, dodging past the beams of late-morning sunlight that filtered through the leaves.

She stopped when she reached a small clearing, and peaked out from behind a bush.

At the opposite end of the clearing was a very tall oak tree. A long rope ladder followed the length of the tree trunk.

At the top of the ladder, perched in the highest branches of the tree, was a tree house.

Natalie smiled as she gazed up at the tree house. "I thought it might still be here" She said quietly.

Glancing from left to right, to make sure she was alone, Natalie quickly crossed the clearing and placed her hands upon the rough bark of the oak tree.

She closed her eyes and said "I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start"

She felt a flush of heat flow from her hands into the bark. Grasping it, she pulled out, like she was pulling open a curtain.

There was a rumble and a flash of light behind Natalie's closed eyelids, and she stepped forward into the tree.

Natalie opened her eyes and found herself in a large round room filled with bookcases. Hundreds of candles covered the entire room in a soft light.

 _I still can't believe that Merlin the Magician has a secret study here in Frog Creek!_ Natalie thought as she stepped forwards into the room. _Or that I'm one of the few people that can get into it!_

Natalie's foot struck something solid. "Ow!" She grunted and looked down to see that she had walked into an old wooden chest, with several old-looking scrolls perched on top. One fell to the floor and rolled away from her.

"Oops!" Natalie chased after the scroll, grabbing it. "Didn't mean for that to happen" She blew some dust off of the scroll and wiped it clean with her shirt sleeve.

"Thank you" Natalie jumped as a familiar voice spoke from behind her. Slowly she turned. "Some of these scrolls can be quite fragile, and deserve proper care"

A man in a long red robe was sitting in a carved wooden chair facing her. He had a long white beard and was holding a wooden staff.

"Merlin!" Natalie grinned.

"Hello Natalie" The magician smiled back at her. "What brings you back here so soon?"

"I think my cousins were planning to come to the tree house today. I wanted to be ready when they did" Natalie said.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that your cousins will come today?" He asked.

Natalie smiled. "Knowing them like I do, I'm pretty sure they'll be coming today. They're definitely curious about the tree house. They came early in the morning yesterday when they could have stayed in bed. Why wouldn't they come back today?"

Merlin nodded, like he understood. "Curiosity _is_ a powerful force, guiding much of humanity's quest for discovery."

"But isn't curiosity dangerous?" Natalie asked. "My mother once said that too much curiosity can kill the cat"

"True, but sometimes satisfaction can bring it back again" Merlin replied. "How can we hope to learn if we are afraid to make mistakes?"

"Speaking of learning, where does this go?" Natalie asked, holding up the scroll she had picked up.

"Let me see it" Merlin took the scroll from Natalie and held it open. " **How to make Gold"** He read the title aloud. "Hmm, you can place it on that shelf" He said, pointing to a small shelf filled with scrolls that stood against one of the walls.

Natalie however, was staring at the scroll, her eyes wide. "How to make Gold?" She gasped, "As in actually _making_ gold? You can _do_ that?" Natalie thought about what an amazing power that would be to have.

"Do not get any ideas" Merlin warned as he handed her the scroll, and Natalie blushed as she realized Merlin had read her mind again.

"Sorry" Said Natalie and she quickly placed the scroll on the shelf. "But it's not like I could have used it anyway. I'm not a magician"

"True, but magicians are made, not born" Merlin said. "You could become one, if it is what you truly wanted"

"Really?" Natalie's eyes widened

"Yes, but it is a path I would _not_ recommend" Merlin said, and his ice-blue eyes bored into Natalie's own. "The study of magic is not to be taken lightly. It would involve many years of the strictest devotion and discipline. I told you that a true magician should rely on himself first, and on his magic second."

"Yes, you said that when we first met" said Natalie

"Yes" Merlin nodded. "And you may recall I _also_ said that many magic users do not follow that rule. They are tempted by their powers and often times act before they think, and because of this they, and those with them, often find themselves in trouble"

"I understand" said Natalie, thinking back to how her mother had once told her something very similar.

"And that same rule applies to your mission, Natalie" Merlin said. "When you follow your cousins through time, you are there to protect them, nothing more. You must let the rest of history play out, even if the event displeases you"

Natalie nodded. "I'll do my best"

"I know you will" Merlin said, and his gaze softened. "That is one of the reasons that I have given you this role"

"Just one?" Natalie felt a smile creep up her face. "What are the other reasons?"

Merlin was about to answer when he suddenly sat up straight, his eyes wide.

Natalie tensed. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Merlin didn't answer, just motioned for Natalie to be quiet. He closed his eyes and began murmuring words that Natalie could not hear.

Natalie suddenly felt a cold wind brush across her skin and she shivered.

"She is near" Said Merlin suddenly.

"Who's near?" Natalie asked.

"My rival" Merlin said.

Natalie felt a twinge of fear. Merlin's rival was the mysterious person who had created the magical tree house and filled it with books. According to Merlin, her magical abilities rivaled his, and she was the main reason Natalie's involvement had to be kept a secret.

"Wh-where is she?" Natalie asked, glancing around as if Merlin's rival would suddenly appear from behind a shelf.

"Outside" Merlin said slowly.

"C-can she get in?" Natalie glanced towards the hidden door that she used to enter the study.

"No, I…" Merlin paused, his eyes still closed. "Wait, I sense another presence…in the tree house" Merlin looked towards the ceiling of the room.

Natalie's eyes widened as she glanced up. Merlin raised his staff and traced the letter M in the air above them. The M was connected to a similar M carved into the floor of the tree house that would allow them to listen on what was happening above them.

The M flashed once. Natalie held her breath.

" _Hmm, which book is it going to be today?"_ A familiar voice said.

"Oh it's just my cousins" Natalie sighed with relief. "I _knew_ they were coming back today!"

" _Hey, this isn't wet anymore"_ Annie's voice spoke

" _Let me see"_ Natalie heard Jack say and smiled.

Jack and Annie were referring to the book which had taken the three of them back to the time of knights. As Natalie remembered, it had gotten soaked when Jack and Annie fell into a castle moat while fleeing from the guards.

" _Watch out!"_ Annie called from above.

" _Put that away!"_ Jack shot back and there was the sound of something being put down. " _Once in dinosaur time was plenty!"_

 _Figures you'd say that, Jack!_ Natalie smiled. Jack was referring to the book that had taken them back to the time of the dinosaurs. Jack had nearly been eaten by a Tyrannosaurus Rex during that adventure.

" _Wow! Look at this!"_ Annie said, and from the sound of her voice, Natalie could tell Annie had found a book she liked.

"Sounds like another adventure is about to happen" Natalie said to Merlin.

But Merlin still looked concerned. "My rival was definitely nearby; she is probably watching your cousins."

Natalie felt her heartbeat quicken. "Will she try to stop me following them?" Each time Jack and Annie had traveled back in time in the magic tree house, Merlin had sent Natalie after them in disguise to make sure nothing bad happened to them.

Merlin had told her the disguises were necessary because Merlin believed his rival would not approve of his actions and would try to stop Natalie from helping her cousins if she was discovered.

So far, Natalie had been a Pteranodon and a knight in shining armor, and both times she had ended up saving her cousins from danger.

"No, she does not know of you yet, I am certain" Merlin said. "But if she _is_ watching your cousins now, we will have to be more careful."

Natalie nodded

" _Let's go there_ " They heard Annie whisper " _Now_ "

"Looks like we're about to take off" Natalie said, rising to her feet. "But where are they going this time?"

" _Wait"_ Jack said.

" _Pyramids, Jack. You love pyramids"_ Said Annie and Natalie and Merlin perked up.

"Pyramids?" Natalie gasped "As in Egyptian pyramids?"

Natalie _loved_ Ancient Egypt. Her mother used to tell her stories about the animal-headed Egyptian gods all the time, and her father used to lecture about how advanced the Egyptians were.

 _My dad always wondered how the pyramids were built,_ Natalie thought, feeling giddy with excitement, a _nd now I may actually get to find out!_

" _Okay"_ Jack said and Natalie let out a cheer. _"But hold the Pennsylvania book. In case we want to come back ri-"_

Merlin suddenly raised his staff into the air, and Jack's voice suddenly cut off. Natalie knew that the wizard must have frozen her two cousins in time briefly.

"You seem excited" Merlin said, smiling as he leaned on his staff.

"Of course I am!" Natalie replied, beaming at him. "Ancient Egypt was one of my parent's favorite things to talk about! I've loved it for as long as I can remember!" Natalie sighed happily. "I can't believe I'm actually going to _go_ there!"

"Remember that you are following them…"

"To make sure that nothing bad happens to them. I know" Said Natalie.

"And now it is more important than ever that our involvement stay a secret. Remember what I said; observe and interact, but _do not_ intervene unless you have to" Merlin told her. "Or you run the risk of putting your cousins in danger"

"Yes, yes, of course." Natalie said, almost as soon as Merlin had stopped talking. She was eager to get going.

Merlin frowned, but simply said; "And now for your form". Merlin swung his staff through the air and pointed it at her.

A cloud of black mist shot out of the staff and swirled around Natalie. She shut her eyes as she felt her feet leave the floor. The wind rushed in her ears and a bright light flashed before her eyes.

Then all was quiet. Natalie fell back down to the floor, landing on her feet. It took her a second to realize that she was on all four feet, instead of the usual two.

"How do I look?" Natalie asked. But all she heard was a loud " _Meow!"_

 _What?_ Natalie glanced down at herself and saw that her hands had become paws and her body was covered in sleek black fur. Her ears felt different and when Natalie reached for them she found that they were now on top of her head.

 _What am I?_ Natalie looked up at Merlin, who smiled and waved his hand, creating a mirror in mid air.

Natalie stared into the mirror. A sleek black cat with golden eyes stared back at her. Natalie blinked and the cat in the mirror did as well. Light from the candles gleamed on a wide gold collar around her neck.

 _A cat?_ Natalie stared at her new reflection, than she tilted her head to one side. _Wow, how ironic._ Natalie chuckled, recalling her mother's quote. _But what harm could a cat possibly do?_ She wondered

"You may be surprised what a cat is capable of" Merlin said, then looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should turn you into a beetle instead"

" _Meow_!" Natalie backed up, shaking her head. _No! No, this is fine! I like this form!_ She thought frantically.

"Very well" Merlin smiled and waved his staff "Now go and good luck!"

" _Thanks!"_ Natalie meowed at Merlin as the secret study vanished.

Natalie blinked in the sudden sunlight. She looked around.

She was sitting on a branch outside the tree house window.

Hearing someone clear their throat, Natalie turned her head to see Jack pointing to a page in one of the books. "I wish we could go to this place" He said in a clear voice.

" _Hi Jack! Hi Annie!"_ Natalie meowed.

"What was _that?"_ Both her cousins looked up and stared at her.

Annie's eyes widened. "It's the cat from the Egypt book" She whispered to Jack

 _Wait, what?_ Now Natalie's eyes widened. _I'm in that book? I-I mean, my form is in that book?_ _Huh, Double Ironic!"_

Before Natalie could think about it further, the wind started to blow, making the leaves and the branches of the tree shake.

Natalie dug her new claws into the bark of the branch.

"Here we go!" She heard Annie call from inside.

The wind began to whistle louder, the entire tree seemed to be shaking.

Natalie shut her eyes tightly and held onto the branch. It felt like the whole tree was beginning to spin.

It spun faster, and faster! And faster!

" _Woah_!" Natalie yowled as she felt her claws come loose and the wind picked her up off the branch.

Suddenly, everything was calm, completely calm.

That was the first thing Natalie noticed.

The second thing she noticed _was that she was falling!_

"Me-ow!" Natalie yelped as she opened her eyes to see sandy ground shooting up towards her.

Without thinking, Natalie spun in the air so her feet were facing the ground. The impact jarred her, but it didn't hurt as badly as she thought it would.

 _Huh, I guess cats always do land on their feet._ She thought, shaking her paws, and then sitting back on her haunches. Squinting in the hot sunlight, she looked around.

 _Woah!_ She gasped.

Natalie was sitting next to a group of palm trees surrounded by desert plants. _I must have landed near an oasis,_ She thought, gazing out at the island of green surrounded by sandy desert.

Natalie looked up. The palm tree nearest to her contained the tree house. She saw Jack and Annie looking out the window.

" _Jack! Annie! Are you two okay?"_ She called up to them. She knew they only heard meowing, but she felt like she had to do it.

Both her cousins looked down at her. "Hi!" Annie shouted, smiling.

"Shhh," Jack shushed her. "Someone might hear you!"

"In the middle of the desert?" Annie asked.

Natalie twitched her whiskers, amused. _Annie has a point, Jack!_ She thought. _Who's going to hear you way out… here?_ Natalie paused as movement caught her attention.

Her eyes widened.

Standing a few feet away from her was an Egyptian man. He was wearing nothing but a white skirt lined with gold that went from his waist to his knees. The dark brown skin on his muscular chest seemed to gleam in the desert sun. He wore gold armbands and a gold-and-blue striped cloth over his head.

The man narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. Natalie felt her eyes dart away from him almost instinctively. There was something regal about them. So caring, yet so commanding. From the way he was dressed, Natalie wondered if he was nobility.

Natalie forced herself to meet the man's gaze. _H-Hi there!_ She thought, blinking up at him.

The man's eyes suddenly brightened and his lips curled upwards. " _Help!"_ he whispered in a hoarse voice.

Natalie gasped. _He…he heard me!_ Despite the heat, Natalie felt a wave of cold grip her body.

" _Help…my…sister"_ The man whispered, like each word was a pain for him to say. Then with a shimmering arm, he turned and pointed away from the trees.

Natalie followed his arm, and saw another strange sight.

Filing past the grove of palm trees was some kind of parade. It was lead by a team of

four oxen pulling some sort of sled. On the sled was a long golden box. Following the box was a large crowd of people moving in a slow, dreamy state. Some were walking silently, some had thrown up their hands like they were mourning. Everyone was heading towards a pyramid not too far away.

 _A funeral procession_! Natalie realized, and turned back to the man. _Is your sister in that box?_ She asked.

The man looked at her, and though he did not answer, Natalie could see sadness in his eyes. He pointed towards the pyramid again.

Natalie looked up at the man, then back out at the parade. The golden box seemed to shine in the sunlight.

"Oh wow! Look Jack!" Annie's voice made Natalie look up. Annie was hanging out the tree house window, gazing at the parade and pyramid in the distance.

Jack joined her at the window. "It's the picture from the book" Natalie heard him say.

Natalie glanced back at the parade, than squinted into the sun. The people and the sled were suddenly becoming much harder to see.

" _Help"_ The man whispered again, and Natalie shivered as another wave of cold crept through her.

 _Look I want to help you, really. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm a cat. I don't know_ _ **how**_ _I can help you._ Natalie thought as she looked back at the man. She wanted to help, but she remembered Merlin's instructions.

The man stared at her with a sad expression on his face. Then, before her eyes, he suddenly vanished.

Natalie jumped backwards, her eyes wide. _Where did he go?_ She glanced around wildly, but the man was nowhere in sight. The cold feeling remained, and Natalie shivered despite the heat.

 _A mirage?_ She thought, _or a ghost?_ She shivered again.

Natalie glanced up at the tree house, Jack and Annie had gone from the window.

Natalie glanced towards the parade, which had mostly passed the trees by this point. It looked real enough.

 _Well, mirage or not, it couldn't hurt to see what's going on_. She thought. Plus, she had always wanted to see the inside of a pyramid.

Natalie stood up and began to walk around the tree.

Natalie heard Annie say something behind her, but she couldn't hear what it was.

She squinted her cat eyes against the hot, bright sunlight. The parade suddenly became much harder to see. Natalie broke into a run.

As she got closer, the members of the parade became more and more blurred. Then, as she caught up with them, it all disappeared.

The sled and the oxen vanished. The people vanished. Everything vanished.

All except for the great pyramid that loomed over her like a stone hill.

 _Huh!_ Natalie thought, looking around at the barren desert that surrounded her. _Maybe it was a mirage after all._

Natalie ran over to the pyramid, the only thing out here that seemed to be real. _Wow! This beauty's been here for a while!_ Natalie thought as she noticed that the stones on the outside of the structure were worn. _So, I wonder how you get inside._

"Look!" Natalie glanced up to see Jack and Annie standing not too far away. Annie was pointing at Natalie.

" _He's_ no mirage _"_ Said Annie

" _Come on you two_!" Natalie called with her mind. " _Let's take a look around!"_ Natalie began slinking around the side of the pyramid.

"Come back!" She heard Annie call.

 _No, YOU come HERE!_ Natalie thought as she rounded the corner and saw, to her delight, a hole in the pyramid wall up ahead.

 _Aha!_ Natalie felt her whiskers twitch as she darted forwards until she was in front of the hole.

A long, slanting hallway stretched into the darkness. Lit torches on the wall provided minimal light, and cast dark shadows across the stone floor.

Natalie shivered. The cold feeling she had had before suddenly reappeared.

 _Oh come on!_ She scolded herself. _It's just a pyramid! It's not like it's going to eat you!_ With that, Natalie bounded forwards into the hole.

Inside the pyramid, it was cool and dark, and silent.

 _Silent as a tomb,_ Natalie chuckled to herself as she padded down the stone hallway. In the torchlight, she could see that the stone walls and ceiling were covered in colorful paintings and symbols.

Natalie stopped as one particular picture caught her attention. It showed a woman with a cat's head standing next to a man with a jackal's head.

 _Anubis!_ Natalie stared in awe at the pictures.

There was no mistaking the Egyptian god. Natalie felt a shudder crawl down her spine as she remembered that Anubis was the protector of tombs.

 _I'm in Anubis's realm now!_ Natalie bowed her cat head before the two carvings to show respect.

"We have to go farther inside" She heard Annie's voice drift down the hallway towards her.

"Right" Jack said, "But stay close behind me. Don't talk. Don't-"

"Go! Go!"Glancing back down the hallway, she saw Annie push Jack away from the entrance towards her.

 _Come on guys!_ Natalie turned and began scampering down the hallway.

"Oh man! Look at that" Natalie stopped and looked back.

Jack and Annie were staring at the carving of Anubis and the cat-headed woman. "Who are they?" Annie asked.

"I don't know. I'll take a look" Jack stepped forwards and opened the Egypt book. A few minutes later he read the words inside aloud.

 **The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt were believed to be inspired by animals that lived in Egypt. Because of this, they were often shown with animal heads.**

 **Anubis, (Ah-Nu-Bis), shown with the head of a jackal, is one of the most well known Egyptian gods. He was the guardian of tombs and protector of the dead. He also taught the ancient Egyptians the art of embalming (Em-balm-ing), the process of turning the body into a mummy.**

"Guardian of tombs?" Annie said, and Natalie saw her quickly bow her head.

"What are you doing?" Said Jack.

"Showing respect" Annie said. "You don't want to make Anubis angry, do you?"

"No, I guess not" Jack quickly bowed as well.

"What about the cat lady?" Annie asked.

Jack flipped a few pages, and then read aloud:

 **Bastet, (Bast-Tet) shown with the head of a cat, was the goddess of protection. The Egyptians prayed to her to help ward off diseases and evil spirits. Bastet was seen as a fierce warrior and one of her duties was to protect the sun each night so it could rise again the following morning.**

"Cool!" Annie said. "I like her"

"Wait, there's more" Jack said and read on:

 **Bastet was also the goddess of perfumes and ointments, many of which were used to help make mummies. She was sometimes called 'the Perfumed Protector'.**

 _Really?_ Natalie tilted her head to one side. _That explains why she and Anubis are shown together._ She gazed up at the picture again. _The Perfumed Protector, that's a cool name!_

"Ohmygosh!" Annie suddenly gasped.

"What?" Jack asked and Natalie perked up.

Annie pointed at the picture. "Look at Bastet! Doesn't her face looks like the cat we saw earlier? The one that lead us here?" she said

Natalie squinted up at the picture. Now that Annie mentioned it, there _was_ a bit of a resemblance.

"Yeah, so?" asked Jack.

"So" Annie's eyes looked wide in the torchlight. "Maybe that cat _is_ Bastet!"

 _I wish!_ Natalie shook her head, laughing to herself. She didn't feel anything like a goddess.

"I don't think so, Annie" Jack said.

"Okay, maybe it's not _her_ , but maybe it was sent _by_ her" Annie said. "Maybe that cat's here to protect us"

Natalie tilted her head to one side. _Maybe Annie has a point. Bastet was a protector, and_ _ **I'm**_ _a protector, of sorts._ She thought, recalling the reason why she was here in the first place. _Maybe that's why Merlin turned me into a cat. So I could be like Bastet._

Natalie felt her chest puff out proudly. _And that's exactly what I'll do!_ She vowed. _Anything tries to hurt my cousins; they'll have to answer to me!_

Natalie suddenly froze as she heard a sound coming from behind her, from _deeper_ inside the pyramid.

 _What…was…that?_ Natalie felt the fur on her body begin to stand on end.

She turned towards the sound, her ears tilting forwards.

 _Oh I hope that isn't what I think it is!_ Natalie felt her body stiffen up. There was definitely something moving up ahead. If Jack and Annie were behind her, that meant the source was probably something Natalie did _not_ want to meet.

 _Well, if I'm a protector, I'd better find out what we're up against!_ Natalie thought and she began creeping forwards.

"Wait," Jack said. "I want to look at the book again."

Natalie glanced back at Jack and Annie. Her cat eyes could see that they had stopped beneath one of the torches mounted on the wall. Jack was reading something in the Egypt book.

For a moment, Natalie paused, unwilling to leave her cousins, but curiosity drew her onwards.

 _Sit tight you two. I'll be right back._ Natalie thought, before padding deeper into the pyramid on silent cat feet.

The floor soon grew flat. Natalie paused and lifted her nose to smell the air. It smelled musty, and kind of stale.

Another noise from ahead made Natalie jump, whatever it was, it was close now. _Really_ close.

Natalie's cat eyes could make up another turn in the hallway ahead. It sounded like whatever was making the noise was on the other side of that turn.

Gathering her courage, Natalie crept over to the bend and peered around it. She quickly wished she hadn't.

Ahead of her was another hallway that ended in a set of steps, and hunched over at the bottom of the steps was a figure draped in white!

 _A ghost!_ Natalie's cat mouth opened in a silent gasp and she darted back behind the corner. _Oh no! What am I gonna do?_ She thought, feeling all her courage suddenly leave her. How could she fight off a ghost?

Forcing herself to move, Natalie peeked around the corner again. She wanted to get a better look.

 _Hey! Wait a minute!_ Natalie's eyes narrowed. The longer she stared, the more the figure looked less like a ghost and more like a living person wrapped in a white robe.

Natalie couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman but it seemed to be struggling with something. It kept muttering angrily to itself in a low voice, in a language Natalie could not understand.

The person suddenly turned towards her, and Natalie ducked down, praying the shadows cast by the torches would hide her from sight. She could now see that the figure was attempting to push something into a pocket in its robes.

Natalie's eyes widened as she noticed the item reflected the light cast by the torches on the walls. She could see a flash of gold.

 _That's no ghost!_ Natalie realized. _That must be a…tomb robber!_

Natalie had learned about tomb robbers from her father; people who stole treasure from mummies, usually to sell for their own profit. Her father had called such people criminals because they destroyed history when they stole from graves.

Natalie felt her ears flatten as anger flooded through her. Her mind seemed to cloud over, all she could think about was the historical treasures that tomb robber was trying to steal. _Not if I can help it!_ She vowed.

Natalie rounded the bend and scampered towards the figure in white. How she planned to stop the tomb robber, she had no idea, but she had to do _something_!

As she raced forward, the tomb robber suddenly turned and began walking straight towards her.

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie skidded to a halt and tried to jump out of the way of the tomb robber's feet, but she was too late.

One of the tomb robber's feet missed her, but the second foot came down… _on her tail!_

Natalie felt a sharp pain shoot through her whole body. _"YEEEEEE-EEEEOWWWWW!"_ She cried out.

"EEEE-EEE!" The tomb robber screamed and dashed away into the shadows.

Natalie pulled her stinging tail towards her. _That really hurt!_ She thought. Without thinking, Natalie began to lick at it.

There was a sudden thud from behind Natalie that made her pause.

" _It's alive_!" Annie shouted from down the hall.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie's eyes widened. _Jack! Annie!_ The tomb robber was heading straight for them!

Natalie dashed back down the hall, trying to ignore her throbbing tail, cursing herself for not thinking ahead. _I am such an idiot! This is exactly what Merlin warned me about!_ She scolded herself as she ran.

Natalie raced around the corner to see Jack and Annie both on the ground in a pool of shadows cast by one of the torches, clutching each other.

Both of them stared with open mouths down the hallway at the tomb robber, who disappeared into the shadows at the other end of the hall.

"A mummy," Annie's voice tight with fear "B-b-back from the dead!"

"F-forget it" Jack stammered. Natalie could see his whole body was shaking. "Mummies aren't alive" He slowly picked up the Egypt book.

 _Whew!_ Natalie felt relief flood through her and her body went limp. Her cousins were alright! The tomb robber hadn't even touched them! _That was a REALLY close call!_ She thought and she felt herself start to purr.

Then Natalie's ears drooped as she gazed at her cousins. She didn't feel so brave anymore. She felt like she had failed as a protector. _I won't leave you again, I promise!_ She thought.

"What's this?" Annie suddenly reached out at something off the floor and picked it up. "Look! The mummy dropped this thing"

Natalie's eyes widened as Annie held up a golden stick, about a foot long, with a black dog's head carved at one end.

 _No, not a dog's head,_ Natalie squinted for a better look. _A Jackal's head!_ _It's Anubis!_

"It looks like a scepter" Jack said

"What's that?"

"It's a thing that kings and queens carry. It shows that they have power over the people. Look, it has Anubis's head carved on it" Jack pointed to the black jackal head.

"Come back mummy!" Annie called down the hall.

Natalie jumped backwards in fear. _What is Annie doing?_ She thought.

"We found your scepter! Come back! We want to help you!" Annie kept calling.

"Shush!" Jack said. "Are you nuts?"

"But the mummy…"

"That was no mummy" Jack cut Annie off. "It was a person, a real person"

Annie snorted. "What kind of person would be inside a pyramid?"

 _A tomb robber, that's who,_ Natalie thought angrily as she sat down. _With big feet!_ She added as she began to lick her sore tail.

She knew what she was doing, but she couldn't help it. It was like instinct, and it did make her feel better.

"I don't know" Jack started flipping through the book. "Maybe the book can help us" After a few seconds, he read aloud:

 **Tomb robbers often carried off the treasure buried with mummies. False passages were sometimes built to stop the robbers.**

"Yikes" Annie's face paled in the torchlight. "A tomb robber."

"Yeah, he must have come here to steal treasure, but I think we scared him away" Jack said.

 _Actually, I think that was MY doing! Thank you very much!_ Natalie thought as she finished licking her tail.

"But what if the robber comes back?" Annie glanced fearfully down in the direction the robber had gone. "We'd better leave"

 _Yeah, good idea!_ Natalie agreed completely. _Let's get out of here_!

"Right" Jack said. "But first I want to write something down"

Jack put the Egypt book in his pack and pulled out his pen and pencil

 _Oh come on Jack! You can write notes AFTER you get out of here_! Natalie thought, her tail swished angrily as Jack started writing.

"Jack" Annie suddenly said. Natalie looked up at her.

Annie was now staring at the hallway behind Natalie, her eyes were wide and her jaw dropped open.

"Just a second" Jack said, and he kept writing.

Natalie suddenly felt a whoosh of cold air from behind her that made her fur stand on end. Slowly, she turned to look where Annie was looking. Icy terror washed over her.

Another figure in white was slowly coming down the hall towards them.

 _Not again!_ Natalie threw herself in front of her cousins, her ears flattened. _This_ time she was going to do her job right!

"Jack! Look!" Annie said, Natalie heard Jack's pencil stop moving, followed by a gasp.

As the figure passed under the torches Natalie felt her courage falter again, but for a completely different reason.

The figure was a lady, a beautiful Egyptian lady. Her long white dress had many tiny pleats in it and she wore gold jewelry on her arms and ankles. Flowers were woven into her long black hair and her eyes stared at them with a firmness Natalie had seen in pictures of ancient rulers.

But what was freaking Natalie out was the fact that she could see right through the lady, just like the man outside.

 _That's no tomb robber!_ Natalie thought as she backed away, into the shadows against the wall, pressing herself to the cold stone floor.

"Here Jack" Annie whispered and Natalie glanced back to see that she had handed him the scepter. "Give her this"

The lady came to a stop in front of Jack. She held out a hand.

 _Uh, I don't think that's gonna work!_ Natalie thought as Jack help out a scepter in a shaking hand.

Three gasps filed the hallway. The scepter had passed right through the lady's hand.

"A ghost!" Annie whispered. Jack just stared open-mouthed.

Natalie stared wide-eyed at the spirit that stood before them. She could feel the same cold feeling she had felt outside when the man had spoken to her. _So he must have been a real ghost too!_ Natalie shivered again, the fur on her tail began to bristle.

Then the ghost suddenly began to speak. She spoke in a hollow, echoing voice.

"I am Hutepi." She said simply. "Queen of the Nile. Is it true that you three have come to help me?"

"Three?" Annie asked, "But there are only two of us here"

Queen Hutepi's gaze slowly traveled from Jack and Annie and, to Natalie's horror, fell upon her. She felt cold air whoosh past her fur as she backed away from Hutepi into the light of a torch.

"Hey. It's you!" Annie said. Natalie turned to see that her cousin was smiling at her.

" _Yeah, it's me"_ Natalie said, but all they heard was a single "Meow"

"You know this cat?" The ghost-queen asked.

"Yeah, she's the one who lead us here" Annie said, approaching Natalie. She got down on her knees. "Are you Bastet, the cat-goddess?" She asked.

Natalie looked at her, and then she looked at the ghost-queen. Queen Hutepi raised a painted eyebrow.

"Meow!" Natalie looked back at Annie and shook her head.

Annie's face fell for a second, than it lit up again. "Have you come to help Hutepi?"

Natalie looked back at the ghost queen, who gazed serenely at her.

 _For a ghost, she doesn't look dangerous._ Natalie thought to herself. _She doesn't even look angry. She looks…lonely_. Natalie felt a little sorry for the ghost-queen.

"Me-ow" Natalie finally said, nodding her head.

Annie smiled and looked up at them. "She wants to help. Will you let her stay, Queen Hutepi?"

The ghost-queen seemed to think for a moment, and then slowly nodded her head. Natalie felt warmth flow across her fur and she let out a purr.

"Come here girl" Before Natalie knew what had happened, Annie had scooped her up into her arms.

 _Oh, that feels good!_ Natalie purred, as Annie stroked her head, making Annie giggle.

"You may not be a goddess, but I'm still going to call you Bast" Annie said.

 _I can live with that_. Natalie thought. She may not have Bastet's ferocity, but being named after the goddess still felt good.

"For a thousand years" The ghost queen said, "I have waited for help."

 _She's been here for a thousand years?_ Natalie gasped. Now she _really_ felt sorry for the queen.

"Someone must find my book of the dead." Queen Hutepi explained. "I need it to go on the next life"

"Why do you need the book of the dead?" Annie asked, stepping right up to Hutepi. She didn't sound afraid at all.

 _If Annie can be fearless, so can I!_ Natalie said to herself and raised her head to look right into the ghost-queen's eyes.

The flicker of a smile passed across Queen Hutepi's face but it was gone in an instant. "It will tell me the magic spells I need to pass through the horrors of the underworld."

"What kind of horrors?" Annie asked

"Poisonous snakes" said Queen Hutepi. "Lakes of fire, monsters, demons"

Natalie shuddered in Annie's arms.

"My brother hid the book of the dead so the tomb robbers would not steal it" Queen Hutepi said. "Then he carved this secret message on the wall, telling me how to find it"

The ghost-queen pointed to the wall next to them.

"Where? Here?" Annie moved closer to the wall and squinted at it. Natalie looked too and saw the wall was covered in pictures. "What do these tiny pictures mean?" Annie asked.

Queen Hutepi smiled sadly. "Alas, my brother forgot my strange problem. I cannot see clearly that which is close to my eyes. I have not been able to read his message for a thousand years."

 _She's far-sighted_! Natalie realized. She knew it was a condition that kept people from seeing clearly what was right in front of them. _She's been stuck here for one thousand years because she was unable to read the instructions to get out. That must have been torture!_ Now Natalie _really_ felt sorry for Queen Hutepi.

"Oh, that's not a strange problem." Annie said. "Jack can't see what is right in front of him either. That's why he wears glasses"

Everyone looked at Jack, who was still staring at Queen Hutepi. He hadn't said a word yet.

"Jack, lend her your glasses" Annie urged.

Slowly, Jack took his glasses off his nose and held them out to the ghost-queen.

The ghost-queen backed away from him. "I fear I would not be able to wear your glasses Jack" She said sadly. "I am made of air"

"Oh, I forgot" Annie said.

"But perhaps you will describe the hieroglyphics on the walls" Queen Hutepi said, suddenly sounding a lot more hopeful.

"Hi-row-who?" Annie said

"Hieroglyphics "Jack croaked. He had finally found his voice. "It's the ancient Egyptian way of writing, like writing with pictures." He took a deep breath. "Sure, we can help you read them"

Queen Hutepi smiled at him. "Thank you Jack" She said.

Jack smiled back at her. "Where is this message?" He asked.

Queen Hutepi pointed to the wall again. Now Natalie could see she was pointing to a specific part of the wall, where four characters had been carved.

Jack, Annie, and Natalie squinted at them.

"There are four pictures here" Jack told Queen Hutepi

"Describe them to me Jack, one at a time please" The ghost queen said.

Everyone looked at the first picture.

"Okay. The first one looks like this" He drew a zig-zag in the air with his finger.

"Like stairs?" Queen Hutepi suggested.

Jack looked again. "Yes, stairs! Just like stairs"

Natalie perked up. _Like the stairs I saw down the hallway!_ She thought excitedly. She kept still though; she wanted to hear the rest of the message before rushing off.

"The second one has a long box on the bottom, and another box on top of it" Jack explained, drawing it in the air.

The ghost-queen looked puzzled.

"But it also has three squiggly things on top. Like this" Annie added, drawing them in the air

Queen Hutepi still looked puzzled.

 _You may need a bit more detail than that_. Natalie thought. She squinted at the second picture again.

"It's like…like a hat" Jack said.

"Hat?" Said the ghost queen

 _If it is, it's the ugliest-looking hat I've ever seen_! Natalie tilted her head. _No, it's something else._

Annie shook her head. "No. It's more like…a boat"

"Boat?" Natalie saw Queen Hutepi was beginning to look excited.

Jack took another look at the carving. "Yes. Yes it could be a boat"

"Yes. Of course" Queen Hutepi looked very happy now.

Natalie smiled as well. Now she could see the boat. _Good call, Annie!_ She thought and rubbed her head against Annie's arm, purring.

Annie giggled. "Bast agrees with me. It's a boat"

"Oh brother" Natalie heard Jack mutter and giggled in her head.

They studied the third picture.

"The third one is like a thing that holds flowers" Annie said

"Or a thing that holds water" Jack added

 _Hmm. Like a pitcher maybe?_ Natalie thought

"Like a jug?" The ghost-queen asked

"Exactly" Said Annie

"Yes, a jug" Jack nodded.

Natalie's whiskers twitched happily as her eyes slid to the fourth picture. Her happiness faded. _Okay, I have no idea what this one is._ She thought.

"And the fourth one looks like a pole that droops" Jack said

"Like a bent stick, but one side is shorter than the other" Annie added.

Queen Hutepi again looked puzzled.

 _It looks kind of like a shepherd's crook_. Natalie thought. She knew that Egyptian kings were often shown carrying one, as a symbol of power. But she didn't know if it would have the same meaning for a queen.

"Wait" Jack said. "I'll draw it in my notebook. BIG, so you can see it clearly."

Jack put down the scepter and rooted in his backpack for his pencil. He carefully drew the hieroglyph and held it out for the queen to see.

Queen Hutepi was smiling again. "A folded cloth" She said.

Now Jack looked puzzled. "Well, not really" He said, staring at his drawing.

"But that _is_ the hieroglyph for a folded cloth" The ghost-queen insisted.

 _It is?_ Natalie stared closely at the symbol. She couldn't see the resemblance at all.

"Well, okay" Jack stared at the wall again. It looked like he didn't see the connection either.

"So that's all of them" Annie shifted Natalie to one arm while she pointed at each picture with the other hand. "Stairs. Boat. Jug. Folded Cloth" She read each one out as Jack wrote them down in his notebook.

 _Stairs, Boat, Jug, Folded cloth. Stairs. Boat. Jug. Folded Cloth._ Natalie repeated the words over and over in her head. What did they mean? They didn't make any sense to Natalie. They didn't even seem to be connected.

"What does the message mean?" Jack asked Queen Hutepi.

The ghost-queen smiled at them. "Come." She said. "Come with me to my burial chambers" With that, she turned and began floating down the hall.

Natalie's eyes suddenly lit up. _Her burial chambers!_ She thought excitedly. _At the top of the stairs I saw! I bet the book of the dead was hidden inside her burial chamber!_

Natalie squirmed out of Annie's arms, leapt to the floor and took off after the ghost queen.

"Bast! Come back!" Annie called.

Natalie turned to look at them. _No, come on! I think I know where the book is hidden!_ She thought. Knowing they couldn't hear her, Natalie meowed twice.

"Follow her!" Said Annie.

"The ghost or the cat?" Jack asked

"Both!" Annie answered and they both started running.

Natalie turned and followed Queen Hutepi around the corner and down the hallway until they came to the stairs.

"The Stairs!" She heard Jack and Annie say behind her as Queen Hutepi floated up them.

 _Right!_ Natalie thought as she leapt up the stairs, two at a time.

At the top of the stairs was a wooden door.

The ghost-queen floated right through it.

" _In here! In here!"_ Natalie meowed, pressing her paws against the wood.

Jack and Annie pushed on the door. It opened slowly with a groan.

They stepped through into a cold drafty room with a high ceiling. Torches on the walls provided dim light.

The ghost-queen was nowhere in sight.

"Where did she go?" Annie asked, looking around.

Natalie's eyes swept the large room. On one side of the room was a collection of tables, chairs, statues, boxes, and musical instruments.

Natalie stiffened. On the other side of the room, barely visible in the dim light, was a small wooden boat.

 _Here! Here!_ Natalie meowed, running over to the boat. _Look!_

Jack and Annie looked.

"The Boat!" Said Jack

"What's it doing inside Queen Hutepi's pyramid?" Annie asked.

"Maybe it's supposed to carry her to the next life" Jack suggested as they raced over to it.

 _And it would probably help her travel across those lakes of fire she was talking about_. Natalie agreed as she leapt onto the rim of the boat.

The three of them looked into the boat.

The boat was filled with many small items. Golden plates and goblets covered in jewels. Painted wooden cups and woven reed baskets. Earrings and necklaces with precious stones set in them. Natalie could even see some weapons, a sword and a few knives, present in the boat.

The most numerous items in the boat were small wooden statues.

 _Hmmm._ Natalie thought. _I think my dad mentioned something about statues like these. They were supposed to come to life in the next world and act as servants. I think he called them Shabti (Shab-Ti)_.

Suddenly Natalie's eyes fell upon a clay jug lying among the other treasures. " _Look! Look!"_ She mewed, pointing a paw at the jug.

"Look!" Jack said, reaching into the boat and pulling out the jug.

"The Jug!" Annie squealed. "Way to go, Bast!" Natalie felt herself get excited too.

Jack looked inside it.

"Something's in here" He said

"What is it?" asked Annie.

Jack carefully stuck his hand into the jug.

"It feels like a big napkin" He said after a minute.

"The Folded Cloth!" Annie said

 _Yes! We did it!_ Natalie cheered in her mind.

Jack carefully pulled out the folded cloth and unfolded it. The cloth was wrapped around an ancient looking scroll.

Jack slowly unrolled the scroll as Natalie leapt down to the floor.

"The Book of the Dead!" Whispered Annie. "We found it! We found her book!"

"Oh man" Jack's eyed were wide as he ran a hand over the scroll.

" _Let me see! Let me see!"_ Natalie meowed frantically, placing her paws on Annie's leg.

"Oh, you want to see, Bast?" Said Annie.

"Are you nuts?" Jack said. "This is very old. She might rip it!"

"But she helped us find it." Annie argued

 _Yeah! Come on Jack, let me see!_ Natalie yowled, giving Jack an angry look.

"Okay, fine. But be careful" Jack said.

Annie scooped Natalie up into her arms and Jack tilted the scroll so Natalie could see it.

Natalie felt her eyes grow round. _Wow!_ She gasped.

The scroll was covered in beautiful hieroglyphics and pictures. Most were too small to make out in the dim light, But Natalie could see an image of Anubis leading a person that looked like Queen Hutepi towards a set of scales.

 _The Weighing of the Hearts_! Natalie thought. _My dad told me about this ceremony! It was the final test before a person can enter the afterlife, where the heart of the person is weighed against the feather of truth!_

As Natalie gazed at the scroll, she suddenly had a vision of a younger version of herself sitting on her father's knee while he told her stories about Egypt.

 _Oh Daddy!_ Natalie purred at the memory. _If only you could see this!_

"Queen Hutepi!" Called Annie. "We have it! We found your Book of the Dead!"

The room was silent

"Queen Hutepi!" Annie called again

 _Yeah, where is she?_ Natalie glanced around the room.

As if in response, a doorway on the other side of the chamber creaked open.

"Maybe she's in there" Said Annie

 _Or at least she's telling us to go in there!_ Natalie thought.

"Come on" Annie started towards the door, and Natalie suddenly felt a cold draft on her fur. She shivered in Annie's arms.

"Wait!" Jack didn't move. He looked scared.

"No Jack. Queen Hutepi's waited a thousand years for her book. Don't make her wait any longer" Annie said.

Jack finally nodded and carefully placed the scroll in his backpack.

"Hurry!" Jack and Annie started to cross the room. The closer they got towards the open door, the colder it seemed to become.

Natalie could feel Annie shiver and rubbed her head against Natalie's chest.

"Are you scared?" She heard Annie ask as she felt Annie's arms tighten around her.

Natalie looked up to see Annie staring down at her.

 _Kinda!_ Natalie admitted with a meow.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you" Annie whispered, hugging Natalie.

 _Funny, I'm supposed to be the one protecting you!_ Natalie thought, but she snuggled into the hug anyway, purring.

They came to the open door. Annie nodded at Jack, and then stepped through, with Jack right behind her.

The room beyond was bare, except for walls that were covered with painted scenes and hieroglyphics. The only furniture in the room was a long golden box. The box was open, the cover on the floor.

Natalie's eyes widened. _It was the box from the parade!_

"Queen Hutepi?" Annie called in a low voice.

There was no reply.

"We found it!" Annie called again, her voice louder. "We found your Book of the Dead!"

Was it Natalie's imagination, or did the box just start to glow faintly?

She heard Jack gasp. "Let's leave the scroll on the floor. And go" He said.

"No" Annie shook her head. Shifting Natalie to her arm she pointed at the box. "I think we should leave the scroll in there"

"No" Jack said, and Natalie could see he looked afraid.

"Don't be afraid, Jack" Annie said. But Jack still looked nervous.

 _Hmmm._ Natalie's eyes narrowed as an idea came to her. Tensing her muscles, she leapt out of Annie's arms and into the cold floor.

 _Come on Jack!_ Natalie meowed, crossing the floor to pause in front of Jack. Jack stared down at her and Natalie padded forward to rub her head against Jack's leg. She let out a purr.

"See Jack?" Said Annie. "Even Bast is saying don't be afraid"

 _Yeah Jack!_ Natalie thought as she looked up into Jack's eyes. _You like mummies, don't you? Well, now you get to see one up close!_ _Don't be afraid!_

Natalie watched Annie take Jack's hand. The three of them crossed the room together, to the glowing, golden box.

Annie paused to pick Natalie up again, and all three of them peered into the box.

 _Oh wow, a real mummy!_ Natalie thought, with a mix of interest and disgust.

The body was mostly covered in linen bandages, but most of the bandages around the head had come off and the mummy's face was visible.

It was Hutepi, Queen of the Nile.

The mummy was not pleasant to look at. The skin on her face was wrinkled and withered, like a raisin. Her nose looked squashed, and her ears looked shriveled up. Her eyes were closed, but Natalie could see her eyelids were pushed down into the sockets. Broken teeth popped out from between wrinkled lips.

There were also parts of the body where yellow, rotting bandages had come off and Natalie thought she could see bone underneath.

"Oh, gross!" Annie cried. "Let's go!"

"No. This is interesting!" Jack argued.

"No way! Come on Jack!" Annie turned to go.

Natalie wanted to agree with Annie, but just then something inside the box caught her eye. Natalie leapt out of Annie's arms to the floor, then leapt up to the box and perched on the lip. She gazed inside. She couldn't believe her eyes!

One of the bandages on the mummy's fingers had come off and Natalie could see something shiny wrapped around one finger.

A ring, a silver ring with a blue stone!

 _That looks just like MY ring!_ Natalie thought. _The one Merlin gave to me. It's even on the same finger!_

Could Merlin and this Egyptian Queen know each other? _That's-that's impossible!_ Natalie thought. _Merlin can't be THAT old!_

"Bast! Get off of there!" Natalie yelped as Annie lifted her off the box.

 _No! Let go!_ Natalie began to squirm in Annie's arms.

"Annie, listen to this!" Jack had pulled out the Egypt book and began reading out loud:

 **The Ancient Egyptians tried to protect the body so that it would last forever. First the body was dried out with salt.**

"Ugh, stop!" Annie complained.

 _No Jack! Keep reading!_ Natalie squirmed, but Annie held onto her tightly.

Jack kept reading:

 **Next it was covered in oil. Then it was wrapped tightly in bandages. The brain was removed by sticking a—**

"Yuck! Stop!" Cried Annie. "Good bye!" She turned and dashed from the room, still carrying Natalie.

 _But we haven't given Queen Hutepi her book yet!_ Natalie yowled. Squirming hard, she managed to wrench herself from Annie's grasp and dashed back into the room.

"Annie!" Jack called. He hadn't seen Natalie come back in. "We have to give her the Book of the Dead! Remember?"

Natalie leapt back onto the lip of the box, this time on the end opposite Jack.

 _You'll have to give them to her, Jack_. She meowed.

Jack stared at her. Natalie's tail trembled as she felt another cold draft flow over her. _Hurry Jack!_

Jack nodded at her, like he understood. Slowly, reached into his pack and pulled out first the scroll, than the scepter. He placed both items by the mummy's head.

A large sigh seemed to echo in the room. Natalie looked around, then down at the mummy.

 _There you go, Queen Hutepi._ Natalie thought as she dipped her head towards the mummy. _You can leave now. Good luck!_

Was it just her imagination, or did the mummy's face suddenly appear calmer? It was almost like she was smiling.

 _Ready to go, Jack?_ Natalie glanced up at Jack, but he was gone. _Jack?_ Natalie looked around, but the room was empty except for her and the mummy.

 _Jack!_ Natalie meowed, leaping off the box and padding out of the mummy room, back into the boat room.

 _He must have gone after Annie._ Natalie realized as she crossed the room towards the way they had come in.

She stopped. She gasped. There were two doors in the wall ahead of her, right next to each other. Both of them were open.

 _Two doors?_ Natalie glanced from one door to the other. _But, which one did they go through?_

"Annie!" Natalie felt relieved as Jack's voice came from the left-hand doorway.

 _Well, that was easy!_ Natalie started towards the doors.

"Annie!" Natalie paused as Jack called again. Something was wrong.

"Help, Jack!" Natalie's eyes widened as Annie answered, but her voice was coming from the _right-hand_ doorway!

 _Oh no! They went through different doors!_ Natalie realized. She glanced from one door to the other. _Which one should I go through first?_

"Annie!" Jack voice called from the left.

"Help, Jack!" Annie's voice answered from the right.

"Annie!" Natalie could hear Jack's footsteps getting louder. He was running back this way!

"Jack!" Annie's voice was getting louder too!

 _Oh good! They're both coming back here!_ Natalie felt relieved.

Natalie could hear Jack thundering up the stairs. He burst through the door. He glanced around the room.

"Jack!" Annie's voice rang from the other doorway. Jack turned and dashed through it.

 _I'd better go after him_! Natalie made to follow Jack, but froze as she saw something move.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie's heart sank as she saw a figure step out of the shadows. A figure draped in a familiar white robe.

 _The Tomb Robber was back!_

Natalie stared in horror as the robber swiftly crossed the room and approached the doors

The robber grabbed one of them, and slowly began to pull it shut.

 _No!_ Natalie gasped. That was the one Jack and Annie had gone through!

" _Stop!_ " Natalie yowled, dashing towards the robber, but her voice was drowned out by the noise of the door closing.

Natalie skidded to a halt and watched in horror as the robber closed the door and blocked it by pushing a heavy table against it.

 _That must be one of those false passageways!_ Natalie realized. _They're trapped!_

The tomb robber gave the table one more push. Then, satisfied the door was blocked; he began to turn away.

 _You…you monster!_ Natalie felt an angry hiss escape her cat mouth.

The tomb robber froze.

 _You let my cousins go! RIGHT NOW!_ Natalie yowled. Angry meowing seemed to fill the chamber.

The robber slowly turned around and rose to his full height. He towered over Natalie, his face masked in shadow, his hands raised.

Natalie felt terror rush through her, drowning out her anger. Her tail suddenly throbbed and she remembered how he had stepped on it before. _What am I doing?_ Natalie thought frantically. _I'm just a cat! There's no way I can take this guy! I'd only get hurt again!_

The robber reached for her, and Natalie gave in to fear. With a panicked cry, she darted away from the tomb robber and raced towards the burial chamber entrance.

 _I'm sorry Jack! I'm sorry Annie! I can't do it!_ _It's too painful!_ Natalie sobbed as she ran. She felt ashamed, but she was too scared to stop running.

As Natalie was about to pass through the door, her eyes fell upon two statues nearby.

The first was of a cat, with blue stones for eyes.

The second was of a black jackal, with red stones for eyes.

In the torchlight, the eyes seemed to flicker, like they were alive.

Natalie stopped running. She blinked. The statues seemed to be staring right at her.

 _Bastet! Anubis!_ Natalie thought, remembering what Jack had read about the cat goddess and the jackal god. Both were seen as protectors, and both were pictured as fierce.

As Natalie stared back at the statues, she felt her fear leave her. Her tail stopped throbbing and felt her claws slide out on their own. She briefly imagined them ripping through something and courage flooded into her.

She _could_ do this! She _had_ to! She had helped Jack and Annie in the time of the dinosaurs! She had helped them in the time of knights! Fear had not stopped her then, and she couldn't let it stop her now!

 _Bastet, if you can hear me._ Natalie prayed, turning back to the robber, who was rooting through the treasure in the boat. _Help me to be as fierce as you!_

Natalie ran towards the robber. She gave a great leap and sailed past him, spinning in midair and landing among the treasures in the boat.

 _Hands off!_ She yowled and swiped at the robber with her claws. _That's not yours!_

The robber cried out and jumped back into the light of the torches.

Natalie's eyes widened.

Now she could see the robber's face. It was a young man. His skin was dark, almost handsome, except for the three long scars that ran diagonally across his face. In the torchlight, they looked ugly.

 _Those look like claw marks!_ Natalie thought as the tomb robber stared at her. _I wonder…_

Natalie flattened her ears and hissed at him, swiping the air with a paw, making sure her cat claws were visible.

As she thought, the robber hesitated upon seeing her claws, but eventually he stepped forward and reached for her.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie felt panic cloud her head and fought to keep it down. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt her fur bristle

 _Don't run away Natalie!_ She told herself. _Think fierce! THINK FIERCE!_

Natalie felt a strange rumble building up inside her throat, like a purr, but much stronger.

She felt a cold hand grab her golden collar.

Gathering her courage, Natalie took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

" _LET GO!"_ She screamed, lashing out with her claws.

"RRROOOOOAAAARRRRR!"

Natalie's eyed snapped open. The sound that came from her mouth was not that of a yowling cat, but of a roaring lion!

"AAAAAAHHHH!" The tomb robber cried out as he was pushed backwards by the force of the roar.

All the torches in the room suddenly went out.

Natalie placed a paw over her mouth, _D-did_ _ **I**_ _just do_ _ **that**_ _?_ She wondered in amazement.

The burial chamber was pitch black, but Natalie's cat eyes let her see clearly enough. She saw the tomb robber lying on his knees in the middle of the chamber, glancing around fearfully as he cradled one of his hands.

Natalie could smell blood. She felt the rumble in her throat build up again. She opened her mouth.

" _GO AWAY!"_ She yowled, but all she heard was another fierce roar.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" The tomb robber screamed and ran towards the door leading out of the burial chamber. By some miracle, he managed to avoid bumping into anything.

He reached the door and dashed through it. Natalie heard him dash down the stairs and run along the hallway leading outside.

 _And don't come back!_ Natalie thought, as she listened to the sounds of the robber getting fainter and fainter. Once she was sure he wasn't coming back, she dashed over to the table that blocked the door to the false passage.

Even as Natalie stared at it, she knew it was hopeless. There was no possible way she could move that heavy piece of furniture on her own.

 _Okay, think!_ Natalie sat back as she gazed at the blocked door. _Maybe…there's another way in?_

Natalie glanced around the burial chamber, but saw no other doors except these two and the one leading to the mummy room, which was also closed.

 _Now what?_ Natalie thought, her heart sinking. She had driven away the tomb robber, but her cousins were still trapped!

 _Well, I prayed to Bastet to help me drive off the tomb robber._ Natalie thought. _Maybe…Maybe if I pray to Anubis, I can find a way to help Jack and Annie!_

It sounded crazy, even in Natalie's head. But it had worked before and Natalie didn't have many other choices.

Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She bent her head towards the floor.

 _Anubis,_ she prayed _, if you can hear me, please help me save my cousins so I can help them get back home!_

At first, nothing happened, and Natalie felt her ears droop.

"GRRRR!"

Natalie spun around as a growl filled the chamber. Her eyes widened.

She wasn't alone.

Standing in front of her was a dark figure. Even with her cat eyes, Natalie could not make out its face. It was like a living shadow.

 _Who-who are you?_ Natalie wondered.

The shadow growled again, and suddenly vanished.

Natalie glanced around. _Where did you..?_

"GRRRR!"

Natalie jumped as she heard the growl again and spun back around. This time, the living shadow was standing in the open doorway.

The shadow growled again and this time, Natalie could hear words form in her mind. _"COME!_ "

The shadow then seemed to turn and flow through the open door. As it did, Natalie thought she caught a glimpse of a pair of pointed ears sticking over its head.

Natalie felt her jaw drop. They looked like jackal ears. Could that be Anubis?

" _COME!"_ Natalie heard the voice growl again from and she obeyed. She dashed through the door, down the steps, and along the dark hallway. She rounded a corner and stopped.

The shadow was standing in the middle of the hallway. Even though Natalie could not see its eyes, she could swear it was staring right at her.

" _There!"_ The shadow raised a blackened hand and pointed to the wall.

Natalie was confused. What was it trying to tell her?

The shadow pointed to the wall again, and Natalie squinted her cat eyes to look.

The wall the shadow was pointing to was slightly different from the rest. It had no painted images, just lots and lots of hieroglyphics that were too small for Natalie to make out.

 _I don't get it._ Natalie turned to look at the shadow.

The figure raised its hand and pointed, first down to the floor, and then to the wall again, then it mimed pushing something with its hand.

Natalie looked at the wall again, and this time she saw that, at the very bottom of it, there was a stone that stuck out of the wall a little bit.

 _Wait a minute!_ Natalie raised a paw and pressed against the stone.

It moved inwards slightly.

 _Of course!_ Natalie pressed herself against the stone and threw her whole weight against it.

The stone slid out of sight. Then, with a low rumble, the entire wall slid open.

 _A hidden door!_ Natalie couldn't believe it. She glanced through it to the hallway beyond.

She felt her breath catch. _It looked just like the hallway she had come from_.

 _The false passageway!_ Natalie turned to look at the shadow. _Thank you!_ She bowed her head low. _Thank you!_

Natalie felt a cool breeze flow over her and when she looked up, the shadow was gone.

Natalie stepped into the new hallway, listening hard for any sound of Jack and Annie.

 _There!_ Breathing! Coming from her left! Natalie scampered down the corridor and around a dark corner.

She could see stairs before her. And huddled at the top, she could just make out two small figures.

Natalie's heart leapt. _Jack! Annie!_ She meowed loudly.

"Oh man" She heard Jack whisper.

"Bast!" Cried Annie. "She came back!"

 _Quick! This way!_ Natalie meowed, starting back.

"Follow her!" Jack's voice echoed in the stone hallway. "She's going away from us!"

Natalie slowly headed back the way she came. She could hear her cousins following slowly, stumbling in the pitch blackness.

"Meow!" _This way!_ Every so often, Natalie would meow at them, making sure to keep them within eyesight. There was no way she was leaving them again!

Slowly, they made their way down the dark hallway.

Through the secret door, that slid silently shut behind them.

Down the hall, Natalie guided her cousins with her voice.

Around one corner, than another, than another, until Natalie started to worry she was leading them the wrong way.

Suddenly, as they rounded yet another corner, the hallway beyond got brighter. Natalie saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

 _Yes!_ Natalie dashed forward, running as fast as she could. Finally, she burst out into the hot desert sunlight.

"Yay!" She heard Annie yell and turned to watch her cousins burst out into the sun as well.

"We made it!" Jack leaned against the pyramid wall while Annie jumped for joy.

 _Yes! We made it! We made it!_ Natalie felt very relieved. Her eyes stung, making her wonder if cats could cry.

" _Thank you!"_ A familiar voice spoke. Feeling a sudden cold wave on her fur, Natalie looked up to see the man from before standing nearby, watching her. He was smiling.

 _Oh, hello again!_ Natalie smiled back at him, feeling her whiskers twitch happily.

The man nodded at her, then silently turned and pointed out towards the desert.

Natalie followed his finger, and gasped. Striding towards her across the sand, in his red cloak and blue hat was…

 _Merlin?_ Natalie couldn't believe her eyes. But there he was! _Merlin!_ Natalie started to head towards him, but froze as she remembered Jack and Annie.

She glanced back towards them. They were standing near the entrance, talking about something. Neither of them seemed to have noticed the ghostly man.

She glanced up at the man, his smile widened.

" _Go!"_ He whispered, pointing to Merlin.

 _Then he vanished._

Natalie looked at Merlin, then at her cousins.

 _I guess Jack and Annie can get back to the tree house fine by themselves_. Natalie thought and she started bounding across the desert sand towards Merlin.

"Look!" Natalie looked back to see Jack and Annie watching her.

 _Bye you guys! See you at home!_ Natalie thought.

"Thank you!" Annie called

"Thanks!" Jack shouted.

 _You're welcome!_ Natalie waved her tail in response. Then she resumed running.

It was a long and hot run. By the time she reached Merlin, she was feeling hot and was out of breath.

Merlin had stopped walking and stood there waiting for her.

" _Merlin!"_ Natalie panted as she approached him.

"Hello Natalie" Merlin said, smiling at her.

" _What are you doing here?"_ Natalie asked as she came to a stop at Merlin's feet.

"I have come to see a friend." Merlin said simply, lifting his gaze to the pyramid behind Natalie. "An old friend" His smile widened.

Just then, Natalie heard a rumbling sound behind her.

She turned to look.

A boat was moving towards them, away from the pyramid.

It looked like the boat from the burial chamber. It was gliding over the sand just like a boat sailed over the sea.

Natalie could see two people on the boat. One was sitting under a raised cover, the ghostly man from before was working two large oars at the back, like he was steering it.

Merlin raised his staff and gave a loud whistle.

The steering man saw them and turned the boat towards them.

"Natalie, come up here" Natalie saw that Merlin had planted his staff in the sand and had held his arms out. "There is someone I would like you to meet" He said.

 _Okay_. Natalie leapt into Merlin's arms and the magician straightened up as the boat came level with them.

"Hello, old friend!" Merlin called out.

The figure under the cover was seated in a golden chair. At the sound of Merlin's voice, it turned towards them.

Natalie's eyes widened. _It was Queen Hutepi!_

"Ah, Master Merlin" The ghost-queen smiled and she rose to her feet. "I had hoped to see you one final time" She said as she stepped out from under the covering.

" _ **Master**_ _Merlin?"_ Natalie gave a confused meow.

Queen Hutepi's eyes widened as she saw Natalie in Merlin's arms.

She stared. Then she laughed. Her laugh was joyful and rich.

"Ah! Now I understand!" She said.

Natalie could feel Merlin chuckling and turned to look up at the wizard.

" _What's going on?"_ She asked. But Merlin just smiled down at her before looking back up at the queen.

"Good luck to you, my friends." He said.

"And to you, master" Queen Hutepi said. Then she looked directly at Natalie. "And good luck to _you_ as well"

"Yes" The man in the back of the boat spoke up. "You chose well with this one, Master Merlin."

Queen Hutepi gave the man a look. The man ignored her. "She is very brave" He said. "If she were any braver, she would be a lioness"

Natalie felt flattered from the man's praise and she raised her head and puffed her chest out proudly.

"Yes" Queen Hutepi turned back to Natalie. "Thank you for protecting my burial chamber from the tomb robber"

"Tomb robber?" Merlin repeated. Natalie looked up to see the wizard raise an eyebrow as he gazed down at her.

 _Um…well…I..._ Too embarrassed to speak, Natalie unconsciously began rubbing her face with her paw, to the amusement of everyone else.

"Sister! We must go" Natalie looked back up to see the man gazing into the desert sky. The sun was almost directly overhead.

"Yes, we must" Queen Hutepi agreed, and strode back to the golden chair beneath the covering.

The man in the back leaned against the oars and the boat began to move again.

"Safe travels, my friends!" Merlin called as the boat started to turn away from them.

" _Bye Queen Hutepi!"_ Natalie meowed, waving a paw.

The queen smiled and waved her hand. The man in the back waved as well.

The sunlight seemed to light up their fingers. Natalie saw flashes of blue.

Her eyes widened. _Both Queen Hutepi and the man wore silver rings with blue stones_! Just like hers!

Before Natalie could say anything, Merlin turned away from the boat.

" _No, wait!"_ Natalie meowed. She didn't want to go yet.

"It is time bring you home, Natalie" Merlin said, as he gripped his staff with one hand and pulled it free of the sand.

As he started walking, Natalie climbed up his arm and rested her front paws on his shoulder. She gazed behind him.

The boat was moving faster now. It was already near the horizon.

Then, it faded away, disappearing into the shimmering waves of heat.

 _Thank you!_ Natalie called after it.

The wind started to blow.

Natalie looked around.

The wind grew stronger. Natalie could see the palm tree holding the tree house was beginning to shake.

Before Natalie's eyes, the tree house seemed to lift off the tree. It began to spin.

"Hang on!" Merlin's voice rose over the roar of the wind as he raised his staff.

Natalie shut her eyes and buried her head in Merlin's cloak as the roaring wind grew louder, and louder.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie lifted her head and opened her eyes. They were back in Merlin's secret study.

" _I hope Queen Hutepi makes it to the next life_!" Natalie meowed as she leapt from Merlin's arms to the study floor.

"As do I" Merlin said, before closing his eyes and raising his staff.

A cloud of black mist flowed from the end of it and swarmed around Natalie. There was a roar in her ears and a rush of wind. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut.

Then all was quiet.

Natalie opened her eyes and looked down at herself.

She was human again.

"Just when I was starting to get used to having a tail" She joked, then she winced as she remembered how much it had hurt having her tail stepped on.

"So, Natalie" Merlin said, making her look up. He was staring at her. "What is this I hear about a tomb robber?"

Natalie felt her cheeks turn red.

"Um…well…." She stammered.

"Natalie…" Merlin said sternly and Natalie sighed. She knew she couldn't hide it from him.

So, Natalie told him, about everything that had happened while they were in Egypt. How she had lead Jack and Annie to the pyramid and how she had challenged the tomb robber only for him to step on her tail.

She told him how Queen Hutepi had appeared and asked for their help. She told him how Jack and Annie had found the book of the dead and returned it to her.

She told him how the tomb robber had shut Jack and Annie in a false passage way, and how she had scared the robber away again before finding the secret door to free Jack and Annie.

Merlin listened silently as she spoke. When she was finally finished, he gazed at her, his expression unchanging.

Natalie felt her heart sink. He was upset with her, she could tell.

"I'm sorry Merlin." She said, hanging her head. "I know you told me not to interfere."

"Yes. I do recall saying that" Merlin nodded, and Natalie winced.

"But I just _had_ to" She said. "My father told me that every time tomb robbers steal things, they destroy a piece of history, history that cannot be replaced."

Merlin's expression did not change. Natalie sighed and looked at the floor. "But you were right. I acting without thinking and I put my cousins in danger. I should never have done that."

Merlin didn't say anything. When Natalie looked up again, she saw that he was smiling.

"I am not happy with how you acted, Natalie" He said. "Even though your intentions were good, you made this journey far more dangerous than it needed to be"

Natalie didn't say anything, she just hung her head.

"But it seems that you were able to redeem yourself in the end and accomplish more than what I requested of you" Merlin added.

Natalie felt relieved. "You think so?"

Merlin nodded. "Hutepi's brother was right. You _are_ very brave"

"Which reminds me" Natalie said. "Exactly how do you know Queen Hutepi? And for that matter, why do Queen Hutepi and her brother both have rings like mine?" Natalie held up her hand. The silver ring on her finger gleamed in the candlelight.

"I told you. Those rings are worn by people who are in my confidence." Merlin said. "Long ago, I took Princess Hutepi and her brother in as my students in the art of magic."

"You _did_?" Natalie struggled to imagine Merlin living in the time of Ancient Egypt.

"I did" Merlin nodded. "Sadly, nothing ever came of it. Her brother did not possess the level of talent required to perform complicated spells. Princess Hutepi did, but the problem with her eyesight made her a poor student."

"Yeah, she was far-sighted." Natalie said. "She had trouble seeing clearly what was right in front of her"

Merlin nodded. "When Princess Hutepi became queen, both she and her brother decided to abandon their magic studies and focus on ruling Egypt."

"You're not too upset at them?" Natalie asked.

"No. As disappointed as I was then, I felt that it was the best option. And I was right. Queen Hutepi's rule was long and peaceful" said Merlin. "The best kind of rule there is.

Natalie smiled and nodded before a sudden thought struck her.

"Merlin, what did Queen Hutepi's brother mean when he said 'You chose well with me'?" She asked.

Merlin chuckled to himself. " _That,_ Natalie, is a question best left for another time" He said.

"Oh come on!" Natalie groaned as Merlin raised his staff and traced the letter M in the air.

"Remember Natalie, as a secret guardian, you are supposed to see, but not be seen." Merlin reminded her. "You nearly blew your cover today. And now that my rival will be watching Jack and Annie, you must be more careful"

"Yes Merlin" Natalie nodded slowly.

"Now, let us see if your cousins have left yet" He said.

The M flashed and Jack and Annie's voices reached them.

" _Jack, look!"_ Annie said.

" _What is it?"_ Jack said.

" _You have to see for yourself"_

There was a groan. It sounded like Jack had gotten to his feet.

" _Turn your head a little"_ Annie said. _"You have to catch the light just right"_

Annie's voice sounded louder and clearer, like she was standing right over them.

"Hmmm" Merlin mused; then he waved his staff at the M and muttered a word.

The M lit up, and then the light faded away.

Natalie gasped.

Jack and Annie were staring down at them through the M!

"Yikes!" Natalie darted backwards.

"Don't worry" Merlin said. "They cannot see us"

Natalie gazed back up at the see-through M, and at Jack and Annie's faces on the other side.

"They can see the M on the tree house floor" she realized.

"Yes" Merlin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I thought only someone with a ring would be able to see it, but I guess I was wrong"

"But won't your rival be able to see it?" Natalie asked. "I mean, if you put it there…"

"Oh the M on the tree house floor was not my doing" Merlin said. "I just use it, but it was my rival who put it there"

"Really?" Natalie's eyes widened. "I thought it was yours since your name starts with M"

"My rival's name starts with M as well" Merlin said.

" _Really?"_ Natalie's brain whirred. She made a mental note to do more research at the library. This was a major clue! "Is there anything else you can tell me?" She asked.

Merlin shook his head. "I believe I have said too much already." He said as he watched Jack kneel down and place his fingers on the M.

Natalie groaned again as she watched the image in the M ripple under Jack's touch, like it was looking into a surface of water.

Natalie heard the whistle of wind and saw Jack and Annie suddenly glance around the tree house.

"She is near" Merlin said, his eyes narrowed. "You should go, now!"

Natalie nodded and headed for the secret door leading out of the study.

"See you next time!" She called as she pushed her way through the wall and she saw Merlin nod at her.

Once outside, she glanced up to see Jack and Annie climbing down the rope ladder. She turned and darted into the bushes.

The bushes rustled as she pushed through them.

"Who's there?" Jack called.

Natalie hid behind a tree and waited as the woods grew silent.

She peeked around the tree trunk. Jack and Annie were standing on the ground beneath the tree house. Jack was gazing out into the woods.

"I'm going to bring the medallion back tomorrow!" He said loudly.

 _Medallion?_ Natalie raised an eyebrow. _What was he talking about?_

"And the bookmark too! Both of them! Tomorrow!" Jack called. His voice seemed to echo between the trees.

Natalie gasped out loud as she suddenly felt a tingle crawl down her spine. She could feel another presence in the woods, a powerful one. Natalie couldn't see it, but she could tell it was close by, and it was _not_ Merlin.

 _The M person!_ She thought, and held her breath.

"Who are you talking to?" Asked Annie

"I have a feeling that M is nearby" Jack said.

Natalie could see Annie's eyes grow wide. "Should we look for him?"

 _Please don't! Please don't!_ Natalie begged silently.

Just then, a voice rang out in the distance. "Ja-ack! An-nie! Na-talie!" It was Aunt Mary, probably calling them to lunch.

Natalie turned back to Jack and Annie. She saw them look around at the trees. She saw them look at each other.

"Tomorrow" They said together and they took off running out of the woods.

A few seconds later, the tingling feeling in Natalie's spine went away and Natalie sighed with relief.

She took off running too.

Out of the woods,

Down the street,

Across the yard,

And up to her aunt and uncle's house.

As she came in the door, she saw Aunt Mary hugging Jack and Annie.

"Hello Natalie!" She said, seeing Natalie there. "What have you been up to?"

Jack and Annie gazed up at her.

Natalie smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, nothing special" She replied.

"What's for lunch, mom?" Annie asked.

"Is it peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" Jack guessed

"How did you know?" Aunt Mary gasped.

"Magic?" Natalie joked.

Everyone laughed as they took their seats at the kitchen table before a plate loaded with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **And so ends another chapter. In this particular story, I wanted to look more into Natalie's mission, and the dangers that come with it. I wanted to visualize what would happen if Natalie got distracted and how that could interfere with her mission to keep Jack and Annie safe. As you saw, straying from your goal or purpose can sometimes have dire consequences.**

 **My mother used to say that while curiosity may kill the cat, satisfaction will bring it back. We should not be afraid to do something simply because we are afraid it is a mistake. That being said, though curiosity is not a sin, caution should be exercised.**

 **The major change I made between the original and my version of this book is that in the original book, the tomb robber only made one appearance and he wasn't seen again after that, which seemed kind of pointless to me, so I wanted to make him the villain for this particular chapter. I personally think that every time something is stolen from a historical site, a piece of history, no matter how small it is, is lost forever. Granted, I understand _why_ tomb robbers do what they do, sometimes they have no choice, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. **

**As to those of you who are wondering how Natalie was able to roar like that (small cats can't roar, just like big cats can't purr), I will leave you to develop your own theories as to how that happened. Feel free to share them, I'd like to hear your thoughts.**

 **As always, please read and review. My thanks to Draconos 13 for sharing his opinion (I confess I'm a little disappointed that no one else has yet)**

 **Until Next Time!**


	4. Pirates Past Noon

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

 **by Tang Ri Shan**

Pirates Past Noon

"Ahem"

Natalie glanced up from the book she was reading to see her aunt standing over her with a pile of folded clothes in her hands.

"I'm sorry to bother you Natalie, but could you please take these up to Annie's room for me?" She said, smiling at Natalie.

Natalie smiled back at her. "I'd be glad to, Aunt Mary" She said, marking her place in her book.

"Thank you dear" Her aunt smiled, dropping the clothes into Natalie's outstretched hands. "Just leave them on her bed"

As Natalie headed towards the stairs, she saw her aunt glance at the cover of the book now lying on the couch. " **The Art of Sword-Fighting** " Her aunt read aloud, and then turned to give Natalie a quizzical look.

Natalie tried to keep her face expressionless, but deep down her heart sped up a little. "What? It's just a library book" She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh no, it's fine." Her aunt replied. "I just didn't know you liked swordplay, Natalie"

Natalie chuckled. "There's a _lot_ you don't know about me, Aunt Mary" She turned to head upstairs.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Natalie froze at her Aunt's tone and turned to find the woman staring at her with a funny look on her face.

"Nothing, nothing at all" Natalie quickly lied, giving a nervous chuckle. "I'm just saying, a girl's gotta have her secrets, right?"

Her aunt stared at her for a minute, than she laughed. "You know, that sounds just like something your mother would say. She was always really secretive growing up"

Natalie smiled, though it faded slightly at the thought of her mother. "I guess she and I have more in common than I thought" She said, and made a quick escape before her aunt could say anything else.

 _That was close_. Natalie thought as she headed the stairs. She chuckled to herself as she imagined what her aunt would say if she really knew what Natalie and her cousins had been up to.

 _She wouldn't believe it._ _Heck,_ _ **I**_ _wouldn't believe it if I wasn't living it!_ Natalie thought as she reached the top of the steps. It _was_ still hard to believe that just a couple days ago she, along with her cousins Jack and Annie, had stumbled across a magical tree house filled with books. By pointing to a picture in a book, and making a wish, the tree house took them to that particular place and time.

So far Natalie and her cousins had been on three incredible adventures, each one filled with excitement, and danger.

Natalie shook her head as she walked down the hall to Annie's bedroom. _You'd think nearly getting eaten by a Tyrannosaurus, almost being imprisoned in a castle dungeon, or being shut up in an Egyptian pyramid would make Jack and Annie stay_ _ **away**_ _from the tree house_ , she thought with a grin.

But no, Natalie was pretty sure both her cousins would keep going back to the tree house. They wanted answers, or more adventures, or probably both.

 _And that's just fine with me!_ She thought as she opened the door to Annie's bedroom. _I'm starting to enjoy these little tree house trips._ Looking around, she saw that Annie wasn't in her room.

Where had she gone? She had definitely been in here earlier.

Natalie placed the clothes at the foot of Annie's bed and quickly left the room. She hoped her cousins hadn't gone to the tree house already. If they had she might be too late.

 _No, that's impossible._ Natalie shook her head as she headed back down the hall. _I would have seen them leave!_

Natalie's connection to the Tree House was different than that of her cousins. She had been charged by Merlin, the wise magician from the mystical realm of Camelot, to follow Jack and Annie on their adventures and provide assistance and protection if they needed it, all without revealing her involvement.

Stopping at the door to Jack's room, Natalie slowly and quietly eased the door open a crack and peeked inside.

She smiled, Annie was there, and so was Jack.

Both of them were staring out Jack's bedroom window at the rain that had been falling since this morning.

"The TV said it would stop by noon" Annie said hopefully

"It's already past noon" Jack replied.

"But we have to go to the tree house" Annie said. "I have a feeling the M person will be there today"

 _ **I** hope not!_ Natalie thought as she watched Jack take a deep breath and push his glasses into place. She didn't feel like meeting the M person, the creator of the magic tree house, just yet.

Jack finally sighed. "Okay" He said. "You get our raincoats and boots, I'll get the medallion and the bookmark."

Natalie quickly pressed herself against the wall as Annie came out of Jack's bedroom and raced down the stairs, and then she peeked again into Jack's room.

Jack had opened a drawer and was rummaging around inside of it. As Natalie stood in the doorway, he straightened up, with an item in each hand.

Natalie grinned, deciding to have a little fun with Jack. "Hey Jack!" She said, trying to sound casual.

Jack whirled around, hiding his hands behind his back. "Natalie!" He yelped.

Natalie hid her smile and strode into the room. "Jack, what have you got there?" She asked tauntingly.

"Nothing" Jack said, a little too quickly.

Natalie deliberately raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Last I checked people didn't hide 'nothing' behind their back" She said.

Jack looked at the floor.

"Don't worry, I won't take it." Natalie said. "I just want to see it".

Jack stared at Natalie for a minute, then slowly pulled his hands out from behind his back and opened them.

Natalie's eyes widened. In one hand, Jack was holding a golden medallion. Engraved into the metal was the letter M.

In his other hand, Jack was holding a blue leather bookmark covered with a fancy design. Stamped into the leather was another letter M.

 _Just like the M on the floor of the tree house!_ Natalie thought. _They must belong to the M person, o_ _r Merlin!_

"Wow" she said. "Where did you get these?"

"I-I found them" Jack said. "In…in the woods"

"In the woods, huh?" Natalie said, playfully stroking her chin. "You didn't happen to find a _person_ with them, did you?"

Jack smiled at her. "No such luck, I'm afraid." Then, after pausing for a minute, he added. "Though, when I first found them, I thought they belonged to mom."

"Makes sense" Natalie nodded. Her Aunt Mary's name did start with the letter M.

"But I asked her and she said they weren't hers" Jack added.

Natalie snorted quietly. She was _certain_ there had been no such conversation between Jack and his mom. If there had been, Natalie felt she would have heard about it.

Part of Natalie felt bad that Jack was lying to her, but she pushed those feelings down. After all, technically, _she_ was also lying to him.

"I got our rain stuff!" Annie called from downstairs.

"Rain stuff? Are you two going somewhere?" Natalie asked Jack as he stuffed the two items, along with his notebook and pencil, into his backpack.

Jack froze then turned to look at her. Natalie could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he tried to think of an excuse.

"Uh, yes, we're going out…to…look for the owner" He finally said.

"Really? In _this_ weather?" Natalie teased, motioning to the still-falling rain.

"Uh, yeah!" Jack said. "This might be very valuable to them. If I were the owner I wouldn't let a little rain stop me from looking for it."

 _Smooth,_ Natalie chuckled to herself. "No, I imagine not". She said as Jack headed for the door. "You want me to come with you?"

"Thanks, but I think Annie and I can handle it" Jack called from the hallway.

"If you say so!" Natalie called after them. "Be careful!"

"We will!" Jack called back as he headed down the stairs.

Smirking, Natalie raised her hands to her lips and blew across the blue stone of the silver ring on her finger. "Merlin? Merlin, can you hear me?" She said in a low voice.

There was a moment of silence, than the voice of the old magician spoke from the stone. " _Yes Natalie. I hear you. Are Jack and Annie coming?"_

"Yes." Natalie said. "They're leaving the house now."

" _I was afraid of that"_ Merlin sounded worried.

Natalie frowned. "What do you mean?" She asked.

" _My rival has been at the tree house recently."_ Merlin whispered. _"I believe she is plotting something."_

Natalie gulped nervously. Merlin's rivalry with the M person was the reason Natalie's involvement had to remain a secret.

"Any idea what?" asked Natalie.

" _No_ " Merlin said. _"But I fear we will soon find out. Come to the tree, but be cautious"_

"On my way" Natalie said before dashing out of Jack's room and down the stairs.

Jack and Annie were already gone. Their raincoats and boots were missing from the front closet.

"Aunt Mary! I'll be back in a few minutes!" She called as she made her way through the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Her aunt called.

"To check on something I saw yesterday. I'll be right back!" Natalie called as she pulled on her dark blue raincoat and slipped into black rain boots.

"Ok, but be careful out there" Her aunt said from the living room.

"I will!" Natalie said as she closed the back door and dashed across the lawn.

The wind blew hard and sheets of rain fell heavily. Natalie made a face as rainwater got into her mouth. She spat it out and kept running.

Soon she had reached Frog Creek woods. The tree branches above her swayed in the wind, flinging rainwater in every direction.

Natalie tried to avoid glancing up as she darted between the trees, splashing through puddles and jumping over small streams that had appeared on the forest floor. As she moved, she glanced around, looking for any sign of the M person, but she didn't see anything.

Eventually, she reached a clearing deep in the woods. In this clearing sat a tall oak tree, the tallest one in the woods.

Only now did she look up. Tucked amidst the branches at the top of the tree was a small tree house. Below it, a long rope ladder hung down to the ground.

Annie was already halfway up the rope ladder, and Jack was right behind her.

Natalie quietly crept out from the edge of the clearing, over to the tree. She glanced up, shielding her face. She saw Annie climb into the tree house, then Jack.

Natalie pressed both her hands on the wet bark of the tree trunk, closed her eyes, and whispered. "I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start."

There was a flush of heat from her ring and a tingling feeling erupted from her hands. She opened her eyes to see a crack of light appear between them in the bark and she pulled open the secret door in the trunk.

Stepping through, Natalie quickly sealed the door behind her. Pulling back her hood, Natalie quickly stepped out of her boots and headed into Merlin's secret study.

She spotted the old wizard right away. He also spotted her.

"Welcome Natalie" He smiled at her from his carved chair.

"Hi Merlin" Natalie smiled at him. "Sorry about the water" She said, as she removed her raincoat.

Merlin shook his head. "Think nothing of it. You may hang your coat over there" He pointed to a metal hook that had been bolted to the wall near the door.

Natalie hung her coat on the hook and approached Merlin. The old wizard was now gazing up at a glowing letter M that floated in the air above him.

Natalie smiled. That M was connected to the M carved in the floor of the tree house above, allowing them to listen to what was happening.

As Natalie looked up at the M, she remembered that Merlin had recently made it so they could see what was happening in the tree house as well, as long as it was happening over the letter.

She could see that Jack and Annie were seated on either side of the M. She could just make out their heads and hands.

Jack reached out and placed something on the M, it was the gold medallion and the bookmark.

Natalie turned to Merlin. "I saw those things in Jack's room a little while ago. He told me he found them in the woods, and they're both engraved with the letter M. They aren't yours, by any chance, are they?"

Merlin shook his head.

"I didn't think so" Natalie turned to look back up at the scene above. "I'm pretty sure Jack actually found the medallion in Dinosaur times. I remember seeing him pick something up then. Not sure where the bookmark came from though"

"The book on castles would be my guess." Merlin replied. "From what I can see, it is engraved with a design that was common in that era"

"Makes sense" Natalie said.

" _Brr"_ Annie was saying. _"It's not very cozy today"_.

Jack agreed with her.

"Speak for yourself!" Natalie called up, knowing that Annie couldn't hear her. The magic in the M only worked one way.

Natalie felt pretty warm in the secret study, surrounded by dry walls and lit candles.

Merlin smiled. "There _are_ certain advantages to not having windows." He said.

Natalie laughed. "So true!"

" _Look!"_ Annie's voice made them both look up again. _I don't remember a book being open"_

" _Me either"_ Jack said.

Natalie and Merlin exchanged a glance. Merlin's smile faded and Natalie felt her heart quicken.

Annie moved out of the image and returned a few seconds later with a book in her hands. She held it open over the M.

Natalie squinted up at the image. She could make out words on the cover, but she couldn't read them.

"I can't read the cover" She said the Merlin. "Can you?"

Merlin gazed up at the M and frowned. "No, though to us the book appears to be upside down"

"Oh" Natalie suddenly felt silly.

" _Wow, this place looks great"_ Annie showed the book to Jack, turning it as she did so.

"How about now?" Natalie asked.

Merlin waver his staff and the glow from the M seemed to get brighter. He squinted up at the book in the image.

"No!" He suddenly said, his face growing pale.

"What? What does it say?" Natalie asked.

" **Pirates of the Caribbean** " Merlin read out loud.

"Pirates?" Natalie gasped in horror. Her hands clasped over her mouth.

Merlin lifted out of his chair and waved his staff. There was a flash of light and Jack and Annie seemed to pause in the image above them. Merlin had frozen them.

"I knew it!" Merlin said angrily. "This is _her_ doing!"

"You mean your rival?" Natalie asked, still staring up at the M above them. "But why would the tree house's creator want my cousins to travel to the time of pirates?"

"I can only think of one reason; because she hopes _you_ will follow" Merlin replied, turning to look at her.

"What?" Natalie gasped.

Merlin sighed and shook her head. "I was afraid this might happen. My rival must have followed you to Ancient Egypt. She must have seen you with Jack and Annie, and possibly she also saw you with me afterwards

Natalie felt icy terror crawl down her back. She cursed herself for getting so close to Jack and Annie when they were in Egypt.

"She must have worked out the connection between us and is now manipulating your cousins to get to you" Merlin continued.

Natalie's face paled as she realized what Merlin meant. "So…" She squeaked. "You're saying that this…"

"Is a trap" Merlin said grimly. He glared up at the M. "She hopes that you will be drawn to follow your cousins by the apparent dangers of this time"

They could see and hear the rain and wind blowing through the tree house, but Jack and Annie remained frozen.

"If this is a trap, then I guess I'll be springing it" Natalie said finally.

"Natalie, you cannot go with them." Merlin said.

"If I don't, I leave my cousins at the mercy of _pirates!"_ Natalie argued, pointing to the book cover.

"And if you do, _you_ shall be left at _my rival's_ mercy" Merlin countered. "Remember, if you encounter trouble in the past, I will be unable to assist you, not without breaking my pact with her"

Natalie felt a wave of terror wash over her. The M person, Merlin's rival, had powers just as strong has his. She had seen Merlin stop time, she didn't even want to think about what his rival could do.

But at the same time, she could not leave Jack and Annie to face pirates alone, and it wasn't like she was completely helpless. She had faced a tyrannosaurus, armored knights, and a grave robber with only her own skills, and the forms that Merlin had given her.

That gave Natalie an idea. "Then give me a form that I can negotiate with" She said slowly. "One that will keep me out of danger of the pirates, but will also let me talk to the M person if she does appear."

"You are still going to go?" Merlin asked.

"I have to" Natalie said. "You can't stop Jack and Annie from going, and you can't go after them yourself, so it has to be me." Natalie felt her mouth curve into a frown as she spoke. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this _is_ a trap, but that's a chance I'll have to take. I lost both my parents; I will **not** risk losing another family member if I can avoid it." She said.

Merlin said nothing. He just stared at her.

"Besides…" Natalie admitted, smiling now. "I'm starting to enjoy these adventures."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, but his face remained serious. "You truly are a dedicated person Natalie" He said.

Natalie glanced at the floor, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"Very well" Merlin waved his staff and pointed it at her. A great swirl of light and colors flowed out of the end of it. Natalie closed her eyes as the swirling lights flowed over her. She heard the rushing of air in her ears and felt her body begin to stretch and shrink.

And then it was over. Natalie blinked her eyes open and looked around.

Everything suddenly seemed a lot bigger than before.

Natalie looked at herself and her vision was filled with green feathers. She raised her arms and a pair of bright green wings stretched out from her sides.

Natalie looked up to see Merlin lean down and make a fist in front of her, the way a falconer would. Natalie beat the air with her wings and lifted from the ground to perch on Merlin's hand, gripping it with clawed feet.

Merlin then turned to face a mirror on a nearby wall. Natalie looked as well.

Perched on Merlin's fist in the mirror was a big green parrot with a dark-colored beak and red markings on its face and wings.

"A parrot, really?" Natalie squawked, and then clamped her new beak shut in surprise. She was still able to talk in English, even though she was an animal. This was new!

"You wanted a form that could talk but not be a threat to pirates, did you not?" Merlin said. "I have never heard of pirates harming a parrot"

"I hope the M person has a similar viewpoint" Natalie squawked, beating her wings as Merlin raised his fist.

"Be wary Natalie." Merlin said. "It is not just your cousins you are guarding this time, you must protect yourself as well."

"Right" Natalie nodded her parrot head at Merlin. Pushing down her growing nervousness, Natalie spread her wings and flew off his hand, rising up towards the M glowing above them.

"Good luck!" Natalie heard Merlin say as she flew up to the M, and passed right through it.

In the tree house, Natalie alighted on a tower of books to re-align herself, then hopped over to the tree house window and perched there, looking back.

Jack and Annie, who had remained frozen this entire time, suddenly began moving again.

Natalie hopped out the window and perched on a branch outside the tree house. She shivered as a gust of rainy wind blew past her, feeling the cold seep into her feathers.

"I wish we were there instead of here" Annie said, pointing to a picture in the pirate book. From her vantage point, Natalie could see palm trees, a sunny beach, and a big sailing ship on a blue sea. A green parrot sat on one of the palm branches.

 _Huh, right out of the book_ _ **again**_ **!** Natalie thought. Last adventure, Natalie had discovered that the forms Merlin turned her into somehow came from the book Jack and Annie used.

Natalie wondered how Merlin could know so much about these books when they weren't his. But she had bigger things to think about now.

"Yeah" Jack agreed. "But where is there? I should look that up"

"Too late!" Natalie squawked before she could stop herself.

Jack and Annie quickly turned around.

"Too late!" Natalie squawked again. She knew that parrots liked to repeat things.

Annie's jaw dropped. "A talking parrot!" She cried happily. "Is your name Polly? Can I call you Polly?"

 _Polly?_ Natalie tilted her head to one side. _Sure, why not?_

"Polly!" Natalie squawked. "Polly!" She hopped back onto the edge of the tree house window.

Annie laughed. "She likes her name Jack"

Jack rolled his eyes.

Just then, the wind started to blow.

"Oh no! Now we're in big trouble!" Jack cried out.

 _You don't know the half of it!_ Natalie agreed mentally as she hopped inside the tree house.

The wind blew harder, the leaves of the tree were shaking.

Natalie shut her eyes and dug into the wooden floor with her clawed feet.

The tree house began to spin.

It spun faster and faster and faster.

Then everything was suddenly calm, completely calm.

Natalie opened her eyes to see hot sunlight streaming through the tree house window.

 _Well, here we are._ She thought. _Too late to turn back now!_ "Too late!" She squawked as she took off flying through the tree house window and up into the tropical sky above.

She smelled saltwater, and the sound of waves echoed in her ears. She looked around.

The tree house was sitting in the branches of a palm tree that was growing on a small rocky island.

The rocky center of the island was surrounded by white sandy beach on all sides.

The island was surrounded by bright blue sea. On the horizon, Natalie saw a tall-masted sailing ship heading in their general direction.

The scene they were in seemed to mirror the picture in the book completely.

 _Cool!_ Natalie thought as she began to fly in a circle above the tree house.

"Too late! Too late!" She squawked, chuckling to herself. This was fun!

"Look!" Natalie saw Jack and Annie at the tree house window below. Annie was gazing up at her, while Jack was staring out at the beach.

 _Okay, I'm here now._ Natalie said to herself. _I've triggered the M person's trap, so where is she?_

But there was no sign of the mysterious M person.

 _Maybe she's not here yet_. Natalie thought. _Oh well, may as well enjoy myself while I wait_! She tucked in her green wings and swooped down towards the ocean, landing on the sand.

 _Ow_! Natalie winced as she felt the heat from the sand seep into her feet.

She began to hop back and forth across the sand. _Ow!_ _Talk about a hotfoot!_ _Ow!_

Natalie quickly took off again, searching for a suitable perch, one that wasn't hot, and found a piece of wood near the water's edge, and rested on that.

She glanced around. There was still no sign of the M person, but she did notice the sailing ship was closer now.

 _I wonder if that's a pirate ship._ Natalie thought, watching the large vessel. She suddenly snorted. _Oh come on Nat! What are the odds?_ She scolded herself.

She glanced towards the tree house. Annie was already halfway down the rope ladder. "Come on!" She yelled up at Jack, who was watching from the window.

Jack's face disappeared and Annie kept climbing down.

Jack suddenly reappeared and started down the rope ladder.

Annie leapt off the ladder and landed on the sand. She instantly raced across the beach and waded into the water. Natalie saw that she was still wearing her rain boots.

"Your boots, Annie!" Jack called from the base of the ladder.

Annie glanced down at her boots, which were now completely underwater. "They'll dry out!" she said, and shrugged.

Natalie found that rolling her eyes was a lot harder to do as a parrot than as a person.

From her driftwood vantage point, she watched Jack pull off his boots and socks and place them next to his pack. He rolled up his jeans. He raced across the hot sand and waded into the water.

Natalie smiled as she watched Jack and Annie wade around in the shallow waves. She wished she could join them.

 _Wait, why_ _ **can't**_ _I join them?_ Natalie thought to herself. _The M person already knows I'm here, why should I bother hiding?_

Annie was laughing and jumping in the water, but Jack was staying still, glancing at the water around him.

Natalie spread her wings and flew off the piece of wood heading towards Jack.

She squawked loudly as she approached.

Jack looked up, his eyes widened.

Natalie flew in a circle around Jack, and then coasted down to land on Jack's shoulder.

She felt Jack stiffen as her claws dug into Jack's shirt, but he made no effort to brush her away. He just turned to stare at her.

Natalie stared back at him. _I see you!_ She said mentally.

"Hey, Jack!" Annie called from nearby. "I think Polly likes you!"

"Hey Jack!" Natalie repeated, folding her wings and tilting her head. "Hey Jack!"

Jack laughed and it made Natalie feel good. Her cousin had been looking glum all day, it was great to see him smiling again.

"Hi Polly" Annie said, splashing over to them.

Natalie kept still as she felt Annie stroke her along one wing.

"I love your feathers. They're so pretty" She said.

 _Yeah, I like them too_. Natalie thought, opening one wing and displaying her bright green feathers with red tips. _Green is_ _ **totally**_ _my color!_

"Polly? Would you like to sit on _my_ shoulder?" Annie asked, gazing at her with bright eyes. She tapped her left shoulder with her hand.

 _Okay_ , Natalie thought and moved to the edge of Jack's shoulder.

Annie squealed with glee and reached up with her hand. Natalie hopped off Jack's shoulder and onto Annie's hand.

Annie crossed her hand to her shoulder and Natalie hopped onto it, and then turned so that she was facing Jack.

Jack smiled. "I think Polly likes you too, Annie" He said

"Annie!" Natalie squawked, looking at her cousin. "Annie!"

Annie's eyes lit up. "She knows my name!" She said, gently reaching up to stroke Natalie's wingtip.

 _Of course I know your name, silly!_ Natalie chuckled to herself. She reached over and gave Annie a soft peck on the cheek with her beak.

Annie squeaked in surprise. "Look Jack! She kissed me!" She said.

All three of them laughed. "I guess she _really_ likes you" Jack said.

"I like you too, Polly" Annie stroked Natalie's back.

Natalie squawked happily as she felt Annie's fingers brush through her feathers. The warm sunlight felt good on her wings. Natalie closed her eyes, enjoying both the attention and the warmth.

Suddenly, she heard Jack gasp and opened her eyes again. Her cousin was staring out at the sea, his face a mask of fear.

"Oh man" He said and suddenly turned back and started out of the water.

"What? What's wrong?" Annie asked, heading after him.

Once on the sand, Jack sprinted up the beach towards his pack.

Annie followed more slowly. Natalie dug her claws into Annie's shirt for the bumpy ride.

By the time Annie and Natalie had caught up with Jack, he had pulled the pirate book from his pack and was staring at the cover.

"Yikes" Annie said softly as she read the cover.

Natalie turned her head to look out towards the sea, squinting through the bright sunlight.

The sailing ship was really close now, so close that she could just make out what looked like people climbing about on the ship's tall masts. At the top of the tallest mast, she could see a flag.

Natalie stiffened. _Oh no!_ She thought, feeling a chill go through her.

The ship's flag was black _with a skull and crossbones on it._

 _I was right!_ Natalie thought in horror. _That_ _ **is**_ _a pirate ship!_

"We've come to the time of pirates!" Jack said, looking up from the book.

"Pirates?" Annie squeaked. "Like in Peter Pan?"

Natalie suddenly felt something in her mind, a _very_ familiar something.

 _The M person!_ Natalie shuddered. _She's here!_

Natalie glanced around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she could feel something nearby. She could feel eyes on her. She shivered again. They didn't feel friendly, they felt angry.

Jack flipped back to the picture that they had used to travel here. There was a small caption under the picture. Jack read it out loud:

 **Three hundred years ago, pirates raided ships in the Caribbean Sea. They were seeking treasure that these ships were bringing to Europe from Central and South America.**

Jack grabbed his notebook out of his pack and began to write something in it. Natalie turned her head to look back at the ship. It was really close now and seemed to have stopped moving.

As Natalie stared back at the ship, she heard Jack continue reading:

 **The skull-and-crossbones flag that pirates used was called the Jolly Rodger. Though there were many different versions of this flag, they all became a fearful sight for sailors everywhere.**

 _No kidding!_ Natalie thought as she gazed at the black flag flapping in the wind. _Who'd be happy to see_ _ **that**_ _?_ She could see the skull on the flag had a patch over one of its eyes and had earrings dangling down from either side.

Natalie shuddered. The grinning skull seemed to leer at her.

"Let's go!" Annie said, and Natalie could feel her start to move towards the tree house.

Natalie agreed. "Let's go! Let's go!" She squawked.

"Wait!" Jack said. "I want to make a drawing of the flag"

"Let's go! Let's go!" Natalie squawked, this time with greater urgency.

"See Jack, Polly agrees with me! Let's go!" Said Annie.

But Jack just pushed his glasses into place and kept drawing.

 _Oh come on, Jack! You can copy the flag when we get home!_ Natalie groaned mentally as she watched Jack work.

"Jack, some pirates are getting into a rowboat" Annie said.

Jack didn't look up, but Natalie did.

Annie was right, a small rowboat was being lowered into the water next to the big ship. Squinting her eyes, Natalie saw people in it.

The rowboat hit the water, then slowly turned towards the island and began to move away from the ship.

"Jack, the boat's leaving the big ship" Annie said, her voice shaking.

This time Jack did look up.

"What?" He said.

"Look!" Annie pointed. Jack looked, and his face paled.

The rowboat was moving towards the shore, heading straight for _them_!

"Run!" Annie cried and took off towards the tree house.

"Run! Run!" Natalie squawked, taking to the air. But when she looked back down, she saw that Jack wasn't following.

She looked back, and saw Jack was on his knees running his hands across the sand.

 _What in the…? What is he doing?_ Natalie tilted her parrot body and circled back towards Jack.

"Hurry Jack!" Annie called. She was almost at the rope ladder.

"In a minute!" Jack called back, and Natalie realized that Jack's glasses were not on his face. They must have fallen off.

Natalie swept her head back and forth, her eyes running over the beach.

 _There!_ Natalie spotted something glinting in the sand behind Jack. She swooped down and landed on the sand. It was Jack's glasses.

"Jack! Jack!" She squawked.

Jack looked up. Natalie flapped her wings at him. He crawled over to her. Upon seeing his glasses, he snatched them up.

"Thanks" He said, leaping to his feet.

 _No problem._ Natalie thought as she took to the air again.

Jack threw his notebook and pencil into his backpack. He hoisted his pack onto his back and grabbed his socks and boots. He took off running.

"Hurry!" Annie was already at the top of the rope ladder. "Hurry, they're coming!"

Natalie paused, hovering in the air, and looked back towards the sea. She gulped. The rowboat was really close now. She could see three big pirates in it. Two were straining at the oars, their backs to her, but the biggest one sat in the back of the boat, and was glaring right at her.

 _Let's get out of here!_ She thought in a panic and flew towards the tree house.

As Natalie flew however, the wind suddenly seemed to pick up, blowing against her, so that by the time she arrived back at the tree that held the tree house, she was out of breath.

Natalie landed on one of the palm branches, gasping for breath.

"Come on, Jack!"

A shout from Annie made her look down. Her beak dropped open. Jack was running _away_ from the tree, back _towards_ the water

"I'll be right back!" He called over his shoulder as he ran. "I have to get the book!"

 _What?_ Natalie looked out and saw that the pirate book was still propped up in the sand. _Is he serious?_ She thought in disbelief.

"Forget it Jack!" Annie yelled from the tree house window, but Jack was already running along the shoreline.

 _Oh, for crying out loud!_ Natalie spluttered as she lifted off the tree branch. _Hang on Jack, I'm coming!_

She saw Jack reach the book. He grabbed it, and shoved it into his pack.

 _Come on, Jack! Get out of there!_ Natalie thought desperately as she watched a large wave carry the rowboat onto the shore.

The three pirates leapt out onto the sand. Natalie shivered as she got a good look at them.

Two of them had knives in their teeth, all three had pistols in their belts.

The biggest one shouted angrily and pointed at Jack. All three of them charged towards him.

"Run, Jack, Run!" cried Annie.

Jack took off towards the tree house.

"Run, Jack, Run!" Natalie squawked, flying above Jack as he ran across the sand.

But it was no use, the pirates were faster and they were gaining.

Before Natalie could react, the biggest one lunged and grabbed Jack by the wrist!

"Jack!" Annie cried.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie watched in horror as Jack struggled in the pirate's grasp. The pirate laughed a mean, ugly, laugh and only held on tighter. He wore a long red coat, and had a shaggy black beard. He had a patch over one eye, just like the pirate flag.

 _Oh, what do I do? What do I do?_ Natalie wondered as she flew in a circle above them. She wanted to help, but in her current state she knew she was no match for these pirates.

Natalie heard Annie yelling, and to her horror, she saw her cousin was climbing down the rope ladder.

 _Annie, no!_ She thought.

"Stay where you are!" Jack shouted.

But Annie kept coming. She reached the ground and charged towards them. "Leave him alone, you bully!" She yelled.

The pirate only laughed as he saw her approach. The other two pirates laughed as well. They were even more dirty and ragged than the first one.

Natalie watched wide eyed as Annie charged up to the pirate holding Jack and hit him with her fist. "Let him go!" she said and kicked him.

The pirate stopped laughing. He growled. Then he grabbed Annie too.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie began to panic as she watched both her cousins squirming in the pirate's large hands.

" _No_ _one_ escapes Cap'n Bones!" The pirate roared.

"Let go!" Annie shouted at him, but Cap'n Bones just grinned at her and slowly began to twist his hand. Annie cried out in pain as she was forced to her knees.

Seeing Annie in pain filled Natalie with fury. _Oh, that does it_! Natalie tucked in her wings and dove towards the pirate captain like a feathery bomb.

"Cap'n, look out!" One of the pirates yelled.

Natalie saw Cap'n Bones look up at her, and his good eye widened as he saw her dive towards him.

 _Pick on my family, will you?_ Natalie blood boiled as she thrust out her wings and snapped at Cap'n Bones's face with her beak. _Take that!_

Cap'n Bones cried out as Natalie's beak grabbed his nose and her wings beat in his face.

"Polly!" She heard Annie cheer as she wrapped her feet in Cap'n Bones's thick oily beard and bit harder.

"Get off of me!" Cap'n Bones roared and, just as Natalie had hoped, he dropped Jack and Annie and grabbed her with both his hands.

"Run! Run!" Natalie squawked, though her words were muddled because her beak was full.

"Arrgghhh!" Cap'n Bones roared, trying to pull Natalie off him.

His breath was terrible. It was all Natalie could do to keep from throwing up.

He was also strong. Natalie bit Cap'n Bones's nose as hard as she could, but she felt like she was being pulled apart.

"Let go!" Cap'n Bones's hands squeezed her hard. Natalie cried out in pain, causing her beak to open enough for Cap'n Bones's nose to slip out.

 _No!_ Natalie squirmed frantically as Cap'n Bones wrenched her off his face and held her out in his arms. "Let go!" She squawked at him. "Let go!"

Cap'n Bones growled at her. All of his teeth were black. His nose was red where she had bitten him and a part of his beard was missing.

Natalie snapped her beak at his face. Cap'n Bones's good eye narrowed. "Feathered fiend!" He shouted. "Away with ye!" He whirled and threw Natalie like a ball.

"Polly!" Jack and Annie cried out.

 _Wooaaahhh!_ Natalie tumbled in the air. Frantically flapping her wings, she quickly regained her bearings and turned back towards the pirates for a second attack.

"Shoot it, you dogs!" Cap'n Bones roared.

A chill went through Natalie's body. _Did he just say 'shoot'?_

"Polly, look out!" Jack cried out.

Natalie saw that the other two pirates were standing in between her and Cap'n Bones.

Both had their pistols out. Both were pointing them at her.

 _Yikes!_ Natalie quickly flew up as the two pirates shot at her. They missed, but just barely.

Jack suddenly cried out and Natalie looked down to see that the pirate captain had grabbed Jack and Annie again. The other two pirates were reloading their pistols.

 _Hang on, I'm coming!_ Polly dove towards Cap'n Bones.

"No Polly, don't do it!" Annie cried, looking up at her with fear-stricken eyes. "Fly Polly! Fly away before he gets you too!" She cried, waving Natalie away with her free hand.

Natalie felt like she was being torn in two. She wanted to help Jack and Annie, but those pirates had guns!

"Polly, we'll be okay! Get out of here!" Jack yelled as the two pirates finished reloading and pointed their pistols at her again.

 _I sure hope you're right, Jack!_ Natalie thought in despair as she changed course and flew towards the tree that held the tree house.

The roar of a pistol and the pirate captain's horrible laugh chased her as she flew behind the tree house and landed on the roof. She felt sick to her stomach, her sides ached from where the pirate captain had squeezed her and her ears were still ringing from the shooting.

Miserably, she peeked over the edge and down at the scene below.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Polly!" Annie cried, kicking Cap'n Bones again, but he just showed her a black-toothed smile before turning to the other two pirates.

"Find out what's in their house, you dogs!" He ordered

"Aye Aye, Cap'n!" The two pirates said, and they started up the rope ladder.

"Hey! Stay out of there!" Annie yelled, struggling against the pirate captain's grip.

"What do you spy, Pinky?" Cap'n Bones bellowed.

One of the pirates stuck his head out of the window. Natalie pressed against the tree house roof. "Books, Cap'n!" He shouted down.

"Arrgh, books!" Cap'n Bones growled, and spat on the sand. "I want gold, you dogs!"

The pirate withdrew his head and Natalie could hear both of them moving around in the tree house.

"Dogs are nicer than you!" said Annie, glaring at Cap'n Bones.

"Shhh!" Jack said. "Don't make him mad, Annie. You saw how he treated Polly"

"What about you, Stinky?" Cap'n Bones roared.

"Just books, Cap'n!" The other pirate shouted down.

"Argh, books!" Cap'n Bones spat in the sand again. "I hate books! Keep looking dogs! Find me something good!"

Cap'n Bones spotted Jack's backpack in the sand nearby. Nimbly switching Jack to his other hand, he grabbed it.

"What's in here?" He demanded

"Nothing" Jack replied calmly, opening the pack for Cap'n Bones to see. "Just paper, a pencil, a book"

"Arrgh! Another book!" Cap'n Bones roared, tossing the pack away. He seemed disappointed. "That's vile booty!"

 _Serves you right, you jerk!_ Natalie thought as she watched from the roof, but inside she felt a glimmer of hope. The pirates didn't seem to care about books, so Natalie hoped that if they found nothing of value, maybe they'd just leave.

Natalie glanced around. There seemed to be no sign of the M person either. Natalie couldn't even feel their presence anymore. Maybe the pirates had scared her away, though Natalie doubted someone _that_ powerful would be afraid of these ruffians.

A gleeful shriek made Natalie freeze. That had come from inside the tree house!

Cap'n Bones looked up. "What's that?" He said.

Natalie glanced down from her perch as one of the pirates, Pinky, appeared at the window.

"Look, Cap'n! Look!" He cried, waving his hand in the air.

The sunlight glimmered off of something in his hand.

The pirate was holding the gold medallion.

 _Oh great!_ Natalie groaned. The pirates would _never_ go away now!

"Throw it down!" Cap'n Bones ordered.

"That's not yours!" shouted Annie.

But the medallion was already falling towards the sandy beach below.

Cap'n Bones dropped Jack and Annie and raced towards the falling medallion. He caught it in his large hand.

"Gold! Gold! Gold!" He threw back his head and laughed horribly. By this point, Pinky and Stinky had slid down the rope ladder and they laughed as well.

Cap'n Bones tucked the medallion into a pocket on his coat then, still laughing, grabbed two of his pistols and shot them into the air. Pinky and Stinky howled like wolves.

Natalie couldn't believe what she was seeing! _These guys have lost their minds!_ She thought in horror.

She saw Jack nudge Annie and the two of them slowly began to slink back towards the tree house.

Unfortunately, Cap'n Bones saw them as well. "Halt!" He shouted. He aimed his pistols at them. "Not another step, lubbers!"

Jack and Annie froze.

Cap'n Bones grinned at them. "Tell old Bones where the rest is" he growled "Or prepare to meet thy doom"

Jack and Annie looked at each other, confused.

"What-what rest?" said Annie

"The rest of the treasure!" Cap'n Bones roared.

Natalie's eyes widened. Treasure? _Here?_

"I know it's on this island! I have a map!" Cap'n Bones holstered one of his pistols and pulled a ragged-looking piece of paper from a pouch in his belt.

Jack perked up. Even from her height, Natalie could see him staring at the paper with sudden interest. "Is that a treasure map?" He asked.

"Aye" Cap'n Bones answered, waving it at them. "This be the map telling about Kidd's Treasure"

 _Kidd?_ Natalie froze as Cap'n Bones's words sparked something in her memory. _Could he mean Captain Kidd?_ Natalie knew that Captain Kidd was a famous pirate from history. Her father had mentioned him a few times.

Jack and Annie glanced at each other. "Which kid's treasure?" Annie finally asked. "Not _us_ kids. We don't know anything about a kid's treasure"

The pirate captain's good eye narrowed at them. "You don't?" He growled.

Both Jack and Annie shook their heads.

"Then where did ye find this?" He waved the medallion at them.

"Umm…" Jack paused, searching for the right words.

"We found it on the sand, a little while ago!" Annie suddenly said. She looked Cap'n Bones in the eye and glared. "We thought the waves had washed it in. We don't know anything about a treasure!"

Natalie was impressed. That story was very believable.

"My sister's right" Jack added. "Anyways, why are you asking us where it is? Why don't you read the map?"

" _You_ read it!" Cap'n Bones shoved the map in Jack's face.

Natalie was confused. Why would the captain want Jack to read it?

Jack stared at the map. "What does that mean?" He finally asked.

"What does _what_ mean?" Cap'n Bones asked.

"Those words at the bottom of the map" Jack said, pointing to the paper.

Cap'n Bones stared at the paper. Natalie's eyes suddenly widened. _Wait a minute!_ She thought.

"Well, it means…" Even from her height, Natalie could see Cap'n Bones's good eye was squinting at the paper, like he was trying very hard to make something out. He coughed, and rubbed his nose.

 _He_ _ **can't**_ _read the map by himself!_ Natalie realized. _Probably can't read at all!_ _That's why he wants Jack to read it!_

"Aw, leave him alone" Pinky growled at Jack

"Ya know he can't read" Stinky added.

"Shut up!" Cap'n Bones roared at his men

 _Ha!_ Natalie laughed in her head. _That confirms it!_ Her mind whirred. Maybe there was a way Jack and Annie could use this to escape.

"Jack and I can read" Annie piped up.

Natalie was alarmed. _Annie! Don't say that!_

"Shhh" Jack warned her, but it was too late.

Natalie shivered at the leering grin on Stinky's face. "Cap'n, make 'em read the map!"

 _Nice going Annie!_ Natalie groaned.

Annie's face paled as Cap'n Bones gave her and Jack a dark look. "Read it" He growled, shoving the map at them.

 _Now what?_ Natalie wondered as she watched her cousins look at the map again. A long silence descended on the beach, broken only by the crashing of waves.

Finally, Jack spoke up. "If we read the map for you, then will you let us go?" He asked, looking up at Cap'n Bones.

Cap'n Bones squinted down at him. "Aye lubber, when there's treasure in me hands, I'll let you go" He said.

 _Whew!_ Natalie felt relieved. Now all Jack had to do was read the words, which were probably some sort of directions, and they'd be free to go!

"Okay, I'll read it to you" Jack stared down at the paper again. "It says, _the gold doth lie beneath the whale's eye_."

Natalie felt her wings droop. _Oh no, it's a riddle!_ Natalie was terrible at riddles! Desperately, she raised her head and glanced around, but she didn't see anything that even _looked_ like a whale.

"Heh?" The pirate captain scowled, glancing at the words. "What's that supposed to mean, lubber?"

Jack shrugged. Cap'n Bones looked at Annie, she shrugged too.

Cap'n Bones's face darkened. "Hang it!" He shoved Jack and Annie at the other two pirates. "Take them back to the ship!" He shouted. "They can rot there till they're ready to tell us how to find Kidd's treasure!"

 _Oh no!_ Natalie watched in horror as her cousins were dragged down the beach to the rowboat and tossed inside. If the pirates took her cousins away, she might never see them again!

 _I've got to do something!_ Natalie flapped her wings, and realized they didn't hurt as much anymore. She made to take off, but by chance, she glanced up, and paused. The sky had suddenly changed. It was now full of dark clouds. A strong wind had begun to blow. _That doesn't look good!_ Natalie cringed. She hated storms, ever since the night of her accident. It had been storming that night as well.

"Row, dogs, row!" Cap'n Bones's voice pulled Natalie's gaze back to earth. She saw that the boat had been turned back out to sea. The pirates had jumped into it. Pinky and Stinky began rowing towards the big ship. Annie's head popped up, she seemed to be arguing with Cap'n Bones.

"JACK! ANNIE!" Natalie forgot about trying to hide her identity. "I'm coming!" She shrieked in her parrot voice and lifted off the Tree House roof.

As if in response, the wind suddenly seemed to blow harder. As Natalie flew across the sandy beach, it seemed to slam into her again and again.

"I…won't…let….them…take…you…away!" Natalie groaned as she forced herself through the wind.

Annie suddenly looked up and caught Natalie's eye. "Polly!" She cried out. Jack and the pirates all looked up at Natalie as she flew across the waves towards the boat.

Natalie saw Cap'n Bones's good eye widen and he rubbed his nose. "Row faster, dogs!" He shouted to his men.

Pinky and Stinky heaved at the oars. The boat shot away across the choppy water.

 _No you don't!_ Natalie thought, flapping frantically in an effort to keep up. But the harder she flapped, the harder the wind seemed to blow. Eventually it became too strong.

"Polly!" Natalie heard Annie cry as she was yanked roughly upwards by the gale-force winds.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Natalie cried out as she tumbled end over end. As she fought to regain her bearings, she felt the wind do something strange. It seemed to curl around her body like a cloak and she could feel it press against her wings, like a solid wall, leaving her suspended inside what felt like a ball of air.

"What's going on? "Natalie squawked, looking around as she was pulled up and backwards inside the ball. "Let me go!"

" _I think not"_ Natalie stiffened as a voice suddenly whispered in her ear. It was a woman's voice, soft, yet firm. She glanced around, but could only see sky and dark clouds around her.

"W-who is that?" Natalie squeaked, even though she had a pretty good idea who it was. It had to be the M person, Merlin's mysterious rival. She looked around, but all she saw was rushing wind. "Who is there?"

" _I will answer you no questions until you answer mine"_ The voice hissed, and Natalie felt a chill crawl down her back. She shuddered. This _had_ been a trap after all!

" _Who are you?"_ The voice asked.

Natalie clamped down on her beak to keep it from shaking and tried to calm down. If this was the M person, Natalie had to be _very_ careful about what she said to her.

" _Answer me!"_ The voice snapped. " _Who are you?"_

Natalie shivered as cold seeped into her feathers. _I guess I should tell her_ _ **something**_ , she thought. Clearing her throat, she squawked in her parrot voice. "N! My name is N!" 'N' was a nickname that one of Natalie's friends in Chicago had given her and it had stuck.

There was a pause, and the voice whispered again. " _I sense that you are not of this time, N, what are you doing here?"_

Natalie thought for a moment, and decided to answer truthfully. "I am on a mission, one that is of great importance to me!"

" _And what is this mission?"_ The M person asked.

Natalie took a deep breath and spoke with a firm voice. "My mission to protect Jack and Annie"

" _Protect them?"_ The M person sounded surprised.

"Yes" Natalie continued. "Jack and Annie do not fully realize the dangers that come with travelling through time. They have been on three adventures before this one, and in each time they have found themselves in dangerous situations. My mission is to watch over them and help them out of these situations"

" _How…noble of you"_ The M person's voice seemed to soften.

"Please, you have to let me go!" Natalie begged. "I can't fulfill my mission when I'm trapped in this…this prison of air!" Natalie fruitlessly beat her wings against the wind again, but it was no use. It was like she was hitting a brick wall.

There was a long pause, and Natalie hoped that the M person might actually listen to her.

" _I want to believe you, N"_ The M person finally said, _"But I too have been following Jack and Annie as they use the tree house"_

Natalie stiffened. The M person had been following them since their first trip? "You have?"

" _Yes, and I have been watching you as well. You claim to be a protector, but some of your actions counter your words."_ The M person whispered.

Natalie opened her beak to argue, but paused as scenes from her past adventures played in her mind, how she deliberately got the T Rex to chase her away from the nesting duck-billed dinosaurs, and wound up leading him towards the tree house. How she had failed to speak out when Jack and Annie were captured by the castle guards and thrown into the dungeon, how she had confronted the grave robber in the Egyptian pyramid and risked Jack and Annie's safety because of it.

Natalie felt her wings droop. The M person was right. She hadn't exactly done the best job in protecting her cousins.

"You're right" She said. "But I swear to you that I'm telling the truth. Let me prove it to you!" She squawked into the wind.

There was a long pause, and the M person spoke again. " _Very well, you can prove your words with your actions. Look down_ "

Natalie did, she gasped. While she and the M person had been talking, the ball of air imprisoning her had lifted high into the sky. She could barely see the island, or the pirate ship, anymore.

What she saw instead was an _enormous_ swirling mass of white-and-gray clouds. It was the storm she had seen before.

"Wow, that storm looks a lot bigger from up here than it did down there!" She said nervously.

" _Indeed"_ The M person whispered, and Natalie could hear concern in the woman's voice. _"This storm will be a big problem, both to Jack and Annie, and to the pirates that have captured them. If I let you go, you must promise me that you will protect_ _ **everyone**_ _from the coming danger_.

"Everyone?" Natalie gulped. "Even the pirates?" Natalie did _not_ feel like helping any of Cap'n Bones' crew, especially how they had shot at her.

" _Everyone"_ The M person whispered and Natalie winced as she felt something brush against her wing, like an icy-cold hand. _"Do you promise to help_ _ **all**_ _of them?"_

Natalie closed her eyes. She didn't care about the pirates, all she wanted to do was help Jack and Annie, but she couldn't see any other way out of this trap.

"I-I promise" She squawked.

Instantly, the ball of wind around her seemed to disappear. Natalie dipped in the air and started to spiral downwards towards the water below.

" _I will be watching you, N!"_ The voice whispered in Natalie's ears as she fell through the air. " _If even one person should come to harm, you will feel their pain and more!"_

Natalie shivered, but tried to keep her mind clear. This was _not_ the time to panic "You won't regret it! Thank you!" She squawked as she fell through the air.

The closer Natalie got to the water below, the stronger the wind became and the larger the waves appeared to be.

The island was on one side of her, the pirate ship was on the other. _Okay, what now?_ Natalie asked herself, looking from one to the other.

On one hand, she knew that Jack and Annie had been taken to the pirate ship, probably imprisoned somewhere on it. But if Natalie headed there, she would have the entire pirate crew to deal with. Despite her promise to the M person, Natalie felt that the less interaction she had with the pirates, the better.

 _Besides, they should be fine on their ship_ , Natalie thought, thinking back to what she had read about pirates. Cap'n Bones' ship looked like a frigate, a large ship that was surprisingly fast and maneuverable despite its size. Natalie knew it was not the preferred choice of ship for pirates, but it looked like it could weather a big storm like this one.

On the other hand, if the pirates suspected there was treasure on the island, they would probably come back to it, and maybe take Jack and Annie with them. From the way Pinky and Stinky had been acting, Natalie didn't think _any_ of the pirates were capable of reading the treasure map. If Cap'n Bones decided to come back, chances are he'd bring her cousins along.

 _Jack and Annie aren't fools._ Natalie said to herself. _They know they have to get back to the tree house to go home_.

Natalie eventually decided to choose the island, because it was closer and the wind was so strong Natalie feared it would blow her right into the waves if she tried to fly to the ship.

As Natalie turned towards the island, she suddenly noticed something.

 _Wow!_ She thought. _The island looks like a huge whale!_ The rocky slope in the center of the island looked like its back. A pair of giant rocks that stuck out of the water at one end reminded Natalie of tail flukes. The palm tree that held the tree house curved up like a spout.

Natalie suddenly remembered the words on the map. _The gold doth lie beneath the whale's eye!_ She thought. Quickly she ran her eyes over the entire island.

 _There!_ Near the water's edge at the tip of the island was a large black rock that, from this distance, looked like an eye. The map was pointing to that giant rock!

 _Perfect!_ Natalie squawked happily as she coasted over the water. Knowing Jack and Annie, Natalie was certain one of them would notice the whale shape as well and make the connection. All Natalie had to do was wait for them.

Natalie flew over the black rock and looped back up the slope to the palm tree that held the tree house. Landing on a branch, Natalie shivered as she looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were now nearly overhead. They rumbled ominously. _I hope Jack and Annie figure it out soon._ She worried. _I'm not sure how much time we have before this gale blows us away!_

"You'll see a gale if I don't get me gold today, by thunder!" A familiar voice suddenly cut through the wind. "Row, dogs, Row!"

Natalie looked up. The rowboat from before was making its way back towards the island, fighting through the choppy water. Pinky and Stinky were heaving at the oars. Cap'n Bones sat in the very back of the boat, and sitting in front of him was…

 _Jack! Annie!_ Natalie's heart leapt in her chest. Her cousins were alright!

Natalie watched as the boat plowed into the beach. Everyone piled out: Natalie noticed the pirate captain was holding Jack and Annie tightly. The other two pirates were each carrying shovels.

"Okay lubbers" Cap'n Bones growled. "Show me where the treasure is"

"There" Annie pointed to the big black rock.

"It's buried under that rock" Jack said, looking Cap'n Bones squarely in his good eye.

Pinky and Stinky dashed down the beach towards the big rock. Cap'n Bones followed them, dragging Jack and Annie as he went.

Natalie flapped her wings and lifted off from the branch. The winds buffeted her feathers as she coasted after them, making Natalie glance nervously up at the sky again. The clouds looked even darker and they had covered most of the sky now. Natalie thought she saw a bright flash occur behind a particularly large cloud and she shuddered.

"Get to work, you dogs!" Cap'n Bones roared when they reached the rock.

"What about you?" Annie asked.

Cap'n Bones laughed "Me? Work?"

Natalie saw Jack and Annie exchange a glance. _Oh, I get it!_ She realized. _They must hope to sneak away while the pirates are digging!_

As if to confirm it, Jack said "Don't you think you should help your friends?"

Cap'n Bones gave Jack a grin that made Natalie shudder. "Nay" He growled. "I'm going to hold you two till there's treasure in me hands!"

 _Oh great!_ Natalie thought as she landed on a sand bar behind Cap'n Bones. The pirates would be too busy to notice her, she hoped.

Natalie glanced up at the sky. The dark clouds seemed to be getting thicker. She remembered the M person's words; _this storm will cause great trouble to everyone._ Natalie shuddered. The island suddenly seemed so small, so fragile, she hoped the storm wouldn't wash it away.

The sound of groaning drew Natalie's attention back to the beach. Pinky and Stinky had tied a long rope around the big rock and were trying to pull it away.

But the rock was being stubborn. The two pirates pulled and pulled, but the rock refused to move.

"They need help!" Jack said.

The pirate captain scoffed. "Argh! Let the dogs do the work!"

"You're not very nice to them!" said Annie.

From her vantage point, Natalie had to agree.

"Who cares?" Cap'n Bones roared in her face.

"Cap'n! We got it!" shouted Pinky. Indeed, the two pirates were slowly moving the rock down the beach.

"Great!" Jack shouted over the howling wind. "Now let's dig at the spot where the rock was! All of us!"

Cap'n Bones didn't even look at him. "Dig you dogs!" He roared.

Pinky and Stinky began digging with their shovels. The wind began to howl even louder.

"Ow! I got sand in me eyes!" Pinky whined.

"Ow! Me back hurts!" Stinky groaned.

 _Serves you right!_ Natalie snorted as she watched the pirates work.

"Shut up and dig!" Cap'n Bones roared.

Natalie felt a drop of water land on her head and glanced up. The thunderclouds were right over them, and Natalie could almost feel them ready to burst. She couldn't wait any longer, she had to do something

 _But what can I do?_ Natalie thought quickly. _I can't scare Cap'n Bones away! And he won't let Jack and Annie go until Pinky and Stinky dig up the treasure_. _Wait!_ Natalie's eyes suddenly widened. _That's it! Pinky and Stinky, if I can get those two to leave, Cap'n Bones will follow! He'll have to, or he'll be stranded here!_

Spreading her wings, Natalie lifted off the sandbar and rose above them just as Cap'n Bones shifted Jack and Annie to one hand. He pulled the gold medallion out of his pocket with his free hand.

He lobbed it at the two pirates. It fell into the hole beside them. "Dig for more of these, you swine!" Cap'n Bones shouted.

By now, Natalie was circling above the scene. She squawked loudly to get their attention.

Everyone looked up.

"Look!" Jack said.

"Polly!" Annie cried out.

"That ruddy bird again!" Cap'n Bones growled.

"Go back!" Natalie squawked, circling over the pit.

Pinky and Stinky glanced up at her for a moment, they scowled and resumed digging, but Natalie saw that they both looked uneasy.

"Gale's a-blowing! Gale's a-blowing! Go back!" Natalie squawked.

Pinky and Stinky stopped digging, they looked up at her again.

"Keep working!" Cap'n Bones bellowed.

"Awk! Go back Pinky! Go back Stinky! Go back! Go back!" Natalie squawked urgently. She hoped that using the pirate's names would have an effect.

It did. Pinky's face turned pale. Stinky's mouth dropped open. They both stared up at her.

"Forget the bird, you dogs! Dig!" shouted Cap'n Bones.

But the pirates didn't dig. Pinky's eyes glanced towards the dark clouds overhead. Natalie could see concern on his face. "A big storm is comin', Cap'n!" He said.

"I'll give you a storm if you don't find me treasure!" Cap'n Bones roared.

"Go Back! Go Back!" Natalie screeched louder. The wind howled loudly, as if in agreement.

There was a clatter as Stinky's shovel fell from his hands. "The bird's an omen, Cap'n!" He shouted, his eyes never leaving Natalie. There was no greed in them now, only fear.

"Dig, you dogs!" Cap'n Bones yelled over the wind, but the pirates still didn't move.

"Go back, you dogs!" Natalie squawked, trying to imitate the captain. "Go Back!"

As Natalie spoke there was a sudden roar of thunder and she could see lightning dart through the clouds above.

Pinky's shovel hit the sand too. "The bird's warnin' us!" He yelled, climbing out of the sandy hole. "We've got to get back to the ship before it's too late!"

 _Yes! It worked!_ Natalie silently cheered as Stinky heaved himself out of the hole too. Both pirates took off running down the beach, leaving their shovels behind.

"Mutineers! "Cap'n Bones roared. "Come back!" He started dragging Jack and Annie across the sand as he chased after his men. "Come back here!"

But the pirates did not listen. They reached the rowboat and began pushing it into the sea.

"Stop!" Cap'n Bones cried out. Natalie could hear fear in his voice now. She knew the pirate captain did not want to be left here alone.

"Go back Cap'n!" She squawked.

Cap'n Bones turned to look up at her.

"Go back Cap'n! Go Back!" Natalie called out over another roar of thunder. A bright flash lit up the sky behind her.

Cap'n Bones's good eye widened and he glanced back at his men, who had turned the rowboat back towards the ship, they began rowing.

"Wait!" Cap'n Bones raced towards the water, dropping Jack and Annie in his rush. "Wait, you dogs!" He ran into the surf. "Wait for me!"

Cap'n Bones hauled himself into the rowboat

Pinky and Stinky strained at the oars, but Natalie saw the both of them glance fearfully up at her. Likewise, Cap'n Bones, once he was safely in the boat, turned his head to gaze at them as the three pirates disappeared in the spray of the gray ocean waves.

 _Well, that takes care of them!_ Natalie turned back to Jack and Annie, who were both gazing up at her, awestruck.

"Go back!" She squawked at them.

Annie's eyes widened. "Jack! We've gotta get out of here!" She cried out.

Just then, the clouds opened up and rain fell in buckets. Natalie felt large raindrops hit her wings, dragging her down. The wind howled, blowing the rain every which way.

"Let's go!" Annie cried.

"Wait!" Jack shouted back. "I have to get the medallion!" He raced back towards the hole that the pirates had dug.

 _Oh, for goodness sake!_ Natalie groaned as she flew after him. The rain was coming down so hard she could hardly stay in the air.

She saw Jack leap down into the hole. She flew over it and peered down. Even in the gray light, the medallion was gleaming. Big fat raindrops were washing away the sand around it.

 _What was that?_ Natalie paused, dipping in the air as she saw a patch of wood appear in the sand.

Jack saw it too. As they watched, more sand was washed away by the rain, revealing the lid of an old wooden chest.

 _No way!_ Natalie felt her eyes widen as she landed on top of the black rock. _There really_ _ **was**_ _treasure on this island!_

"Hurry Jack!" Natalie looked up. Annie was halfway up the Tree House ladder.

"I found it! I found it!" Jack cried out. ""I found the treasure chest!"

Natalie shivered from her perch. She did not like the look in Jack's eye, or his tone of voice. It reminded her of the pirates.

"Forget the treasure chest!" Annie called back. "We have to go now, the storm's getting worse!"

Jack didn't seem to hear her. He reached out and brushed more wet sand off the lid of the chest.

"Jack come on!" Annie was shouting from the Tree House window. "Forget the treasure chest! Let's go!"

Natalie realized that Jack was not listening. The possibility of treasure had hooked him. She would have to do something. "Go Back!" She squawked.

Jack paused, and looked up at her. Natalie saw a crazy gleam in her cousin's eyes and fought the urge to shudder.

Natalie held Jack's gaze and said a silent prayer that her voice would get through to him. "Go back Jack!" She pleaded.

Jack blinked.

 _Come on Jack! There's not much time left!_ Natalie pleaded with her mind. _I don't want to lose you too!_

Memories of the accident flashed through Natalie's mind as she gazed at Jack.

"Go Back Jack" She said slowly, spreading her wings out.

Jack's eyes seemed to clear. He looked at Natalie, then at the treasure chest. Setting his mouth in a frown, he snatched up the medallion and began scrambling out of the hole.

 _Oh, thank goodness!_ Natalie sighed with relief as Jack took off running towards the tree house. She moved to follow him, then paused and glanced back at the wooden chest one last time. "Rest well" She squawked before taking off after Jack.

As Natalie flew towards the tree house, she saw Jack slide his feet into his boots without breaking stride. He stuffed his socks into his backpack.

Lightning flashed as Natalie saw the rope ladder dancing wildly in the wind. Thunder roared as Jack grabbed it.

Natalie circled away from Jack and angled her flight towards the tree house window. The wind howled, pushing her this way and that. Below her, Natalie could see Jack swaying back and forth as he slowly made his way up the ladder.

Natalie dove in through the tree house window the same time Jack finally pulled himself through the hole in the floor.

"Let's go!" Jack cried.

 _Yes! Let's!_ Natalie agreed, perching on a stack of books.

Annie already had the Pennsylvania book open. She pointed to the picture of Frog Creek. "I wish we could go there!" She shouted.

The wind, which was already howling, seemed to become louder, until it whistled in their ears.

Natalie could feel the tree house begin to spin. She shut her eyes as it spun faster and faster.

Suddenly, everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie couldn't even hear the rain anymore. She opened her eyes. She was back in Merlin's secret study, surrounded by books and scrolls and candles. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and glanced down at herself. She was human again.

"Natalie!" Natalie spun on her knees to see Merlin behind her, sitting in his chair.

"Merlin!" Natalie laughed as she leapt to her feet and raced to throw her arms around the old magician.

"You made it back, I see" The old magician smiled down at her once Natalie let go.

"Just barely" Natalie grinned back at him. "That was a tough adventure!"

"Oh?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Was _she_ there?"

Natalie's smile faded, and she nodded. "Oh yeah. The M person was there alright" Natalie described the details of her adventure to Merlin.

For most of her explanation, Merlin's gaze remained stoic. He chuckled as Natalie described her interaction with Jack and Annie as Polly the parrot. His eye twinkled as Natalie described how she had attacked the pirate captain when he had hurt Annie.

But when Natalie described how the M person had trapped her in a ball of wind, Merlin stood up so fast that Natalie jumped.

"She locked you in a prison of air?" He asked, his face now a mask of anger.

"Um…yes, I guess you could say that" Natalie said.

"The nerve!" Merlin snapped. Natalie jumped backwards in fright. The old magician's eyes seemed to flash in the candlelight. His lip curled. "Even I would not have conceived this kind of action from her!" His voice seemed to echo through the study.

Natalie didn't say anything, she just gazed fearfully at Merlin. The magician must have noticed her anxiety because his angry expression quickly seemed to soften.

"How did you manage to get away from her?" He asked. "A prison of air is said to be impossible to escape from"

Natalie shook her head. "I didn't escape, she let me go" She said. Quickly, she finished her explanation of what had happened, ending with how she managed to convince Jack to leave the treasure chest be.

When she had finished, Merlin smiled and nodded his head. "You did very well, Natalie"

Natalie smiled at him. "Merlin? She asked. "You're not too angry at the M person, are you? Sure she imprisoned me, but I think she cares for Jack and Annie's safety as much as I do"

Merlin looked thoughtful. "I do not like what she did to you" He said "But your words make sense, and your cousins are safe, so no lasting harm was done." With that, he raised his staff and there was a flash from the glowing M overhead. "Speaking of your cousins…" He added, looking up.

Natalie looked up and saw Jack staring down at her through the M. She jumped, but then smiled as she remembered The M was like a window of one-way glass. Natalie could see and hear Jack, but Jack couldn't see or hear her. Jack ran his fingers over the M and Natalie saw it ripple like a puddle of water.

" _We didn't find any M's on this trip"_ Jack said.

" _Or the M person either"_ Annie added. Her face was barely visible in the M.

Natalie turned to Merlin, who had settled back in his chair. "Who _is_ the M person, anyway?" She asked.

Merlin smiled at her. "I believe you are about to find out" He said mysteriously.

"Huh?" Natalie tilted her head. Then a loud whistling drew her attention back up to the M.

Inside the tree house above, she could see that a powerful wind was blowing around. Jack and Annie had both fallen to the floor.

" _What's happening_?" Jack yelled.

" _I don't know!"_ Annie yelled back

" _Did you make another wish?"_ Jack asked.

" _No!"_ Annie answered.

Natalie turned to Merlin, who simply smiled. "Watch" She said.

Stunned, Natalie glanced up again. Through the M, she saw that a small white funnel of wind had formed on top of a stack of books. It grew wider and wider, like a miniature tornado, yet strangely, none of the books beneath it were blown away.

The wind grew to a roar and there was a bright flash of light that made Natalie look away for a second. When is cleared and she looked back up, Natalie felt her jaw drop.

Though the angle of her vision was not very clear, she could see that the funnel of wind had vanished. In its place was a beautiful old woman with long white hair and piercing gray eyes. She calmly perched on the stack of books, keeping very still. Natalie could see she wore a long cape made of black feathers.

 _Raven feathers._ Natalie thought, but she had no idea ho w she knew that.

For a moment, there was silence, both in the tree house, and below it. Then the old woman spoke. " _Hello Jack. Hello Annie_ " She said, in a soft, but firm voice. " _My name is Morgan Le Fay."_

"Morgan Le Fay?" Natalie repeated. She felt confused, but then realization suddenly hit her. "The M person!" She gasped, looking at Merlin, who nodded.

" _Yes. I am the M person"_ Morgan said, as if she had heard her. Natalie's eyes shot back to the M.

" _Wh-where are you from?"_ Annie asked.

" _Have you ever heard of King Arthur?"_ Said Morgan.

" _Of course"_ Annie replied. _"He ruled the Kingdom of Camelot"_

Natalie could see a smile appear on Morgan's face. _"He still does."_ She said. _"And I am King Arthur's sister"_

At those words, Natalie felt pieces of the puzzle suddenly click into place in her mind. Now it all made sense! Natalie had read about Morgan (or Morganna, as she was often called), in myths about Camelot. The legends often depicted her as an evil sorceress that fought against King Arthur and Merlin.

" _I-I've read about you"_ Jack's voice snapped Natalie out of her thoughts.

" _And what did you read about me?"_ Morgan asked.

" _You…well…"_ Jack paused. _"You're a witch"_ He finally said.

" _Jack!"_ Annie scolded.

Natalie could see Morgan smile through the M. _"You can't believe_ _ **everything**_ _you read, Jack"_

"Indeed" Natalie looked to see Merlin gazing at her with a knowing smile. "One of the problems with legends is that sometimes their views are distorted through time and telling. The legends of your world speak of Morgan and me as enemies, when in reality we are more like friendly rivals"

"Friendly?" Natalie placed her hands on her hips. "Morgan didn't _sound_ very friendly when she locked me in that prison of air!"

"A fact I will certainly discuss with her later on" Merlin said, frowning. "But hush, they are speaking again"

" _Are you a magician?"_ Annie asked from above.

" _Most would call me an enchantress"_ Morgan corrected her. " _But I am also a librarian"_

"A librarian?" Natalie felt amazed. "Camelot has a library?"

"Oh yes" Merlin nodded. "A rather extensive one"

" _I have come to the 20_ _th_ _century, to your time, to collect books_ " Morgan kept speaking. _"You really are lucky to live in a time with so many books"_ Natalie could hear a sense of longing in Morgan's voice and she giggled.

" _And these books are for the Camelot Library?"_ Asked Jack.

" _Indeed"_ Natalie saw Morgan nod her head. " _I travel in this tree house to collect many different words from many different peoples and places around the world, and from many different time periods."_

"Wow" Natalie was impressed. "That must be quite a job"

"It is" Merlin admitted, nodding his head. "It is a big commitment"

" _Did you find a lot of books here that you liked?"_ Annie asked

Morgan's smile grew wider. _"Oh yes, I found many wonderful books. I borrow them for our scribes to copy. I especially like the pictures in the books. Sometimes I want to travel to the places that the pictures show, so I use bookmarks to mark the pages of places that I want to go."_

" _So you put all the bookmarks in the books!"_ Jack said.

Natalie saw Morgan nod her head.

" _How do you get there?"_ Annie asked.

Natalie perked up at this. She had been wondering that herself. Merlin had not been very clear when explaining how the tree house supposedly worked.

" _I placed a spell on the tree house"_ Morgan explained. _"When I point to a picture, and I make a wish, the tree house takes me there"_

"So _that's_ how the tree house works" Natalie smiled. It was all becoming clear now.

" _Oh, I think you dropped this in dinosaur times"_ Natalie saw Jack's hand appear in the M, clutching the medallion.

" _Oh thank you!"_ Morgan took the medallion. _"I was wondering where I had lost that"_ She tucked the medallion into her cape.

" _So, can anyone work this spell?"_ Annie asked. " _Anybody who tries it?"_ Natalie felt her heart skip a beat. If anyone could work the magic, Natalie wondered if _she_ could do it. Not that she wanted to, but it would be nice to know if she could.

" _Oh my, no! Not just anyone!"_ Morgan said. " _You two are the only ones besides me to use it. No one else has ever used, or even seen my tree house before_ "

"I wouldn't say _no one_ " Merlin said quietly, and Natalie giggled.

" _Is it invisible?"_ Annie's voice sounded excited.

" _Yes._ " Morgan said. " _I had no idea anyone would ever discover it. But then you two came along. Somehow the both of you were able to harness my magic"_

" _H-how?"_ Jack asked. He sounded a little nervous.

Morgan looked thoughtful. " _Well, there are two reasons, I believe_ " She explained. " _First, Annie believes in magic. This belief may have been enough for her to actually see the tree house. Her belief would have also allowed you to see it, Jack"_

" _Oh"_ Said Jack.

" _And then, when you picked up one of the books Jack"_ Morgan continued. _"You love books so much, you must have caused my spell to work"_

" _Wow_ " Annie sounded amazed.

"That actually makes a lot of sense" said Natalie.

"Indeed" Merlin nodded his head. "I reached the same conclusions when they entered the tree house for the first time" He looked directly at Natalie. "Your cousins are both very special individuals"

Natalie smiled at him and nodded. She was beginning to feel the same way. True, her cousins could never replace the parents she had lost, but in a sense, she was starting to feel like Jack and Annie were just as much a part of her family as her parents had been. It was as if her love for her parents was reborn in the care and protection she was giving to Jack and Annie.

"Wait a minute" Natalie suddenly frowned as a thought entered her head. "Didn't you say that it was this ring that allowed me to see the tree house?" Natalie held up her hand, where the silver ring shimmered.

Merlin nodded.

"So then, if I hadn't found this ring, would I still have been able to see the tree house?" Natalie asked. "Or would it have been invisible to me?"

Merlin stared at Natalie for a long moment before answering. "I honestly cannot say, Natalie. It is true that you are not the same as your cousins are, but it is my belief that nothing truly important ever happens by accident." He leaned towards Natalie and added. "And you would do well to remember this fact"

Natalie tilted her head, what did Merlin mean by that?

"Just because you may not have the same beliefs or skills that your cousins do, that does not mean your role in these adventures is any less important" Merlin said.

"If you say so" said Natalie, but deep down, she wasn't so sure.

" _You cannot imagine my dismay when you started off to the time of the dinosaurs._ " Morgan had started speaking again. " _I had to make a very fast decision, and so, I decided to come along"_

" _Oh, so you were the Pteranodon!"_ Annie exclaimed _. "And the knight, the black cat, and Polly!"_

Natalie felt her breath catch in her throat. Part of her didn't want to see Morgan take credit for _her_ work, but Natalie didn't want to come out into the open yet!

Though the M, Natalie saw Morgan shake her head. " _I am afraid that was not me. I used my magic to become like the wind, which was how I was able to follow you._

Natalie let out a big sigh. Her secret was safe after all.

" _B-but all these things, they helped us."_ Jack said. _"I mean, they intentionally helped us. If it wasn't you behind them, who was it?"_

" _I do not know for certain, though I do have my suspicions"_ Morgan replied and she glanced down, meeting Natalie's gaze through the M, almost like the enchantress knew she was there.

Natalie gulped nervously and edged backwards. Maybe she had relaxed too soon.

" _But I do commend whoever it was on their actions."_ Morgan said, looking back up at Jack and Annie.

" _Yeah, they saved our lives"_ said Annie _"We owe them a lot"_

"You see?" Merlin said to Natalie. "You have been more of a help than you realize"

Natalie blushed at Merlin's praise. But it felt good to be recognized for her work, even if it was unintentional.

" _Do you think we'll ever find out who it was?"_ Jack asked.

" _Perhaps"_ Morgan said mysteriously. Natalie's smile faded as she gazed up at the M.

While Natalie was certain that Morgan Le Fey was not a threat to Jack and Annie, she remembered the rough winds that had imprisoned her and the cold feeling that she had felt whenever Morgan had been around.

Plus, Merlin's warnings rang out in her head. If Merlin and Morgan really were rivals, Natalie wasn't sure she wanted to reveal herself to Morgan just yet.

"A wise idea" Merlin said, reading her thoughts again. "We will have to tread very carefully"

"Why?" Natalie asked.

"You may have impressed Morgan today, but she does not know you are helping me" Merlin reminded her. "If she learns this, I fear she will be far less willing to accept you."

Natalie nodded. Merlin was right. She would have to stay hidden, for now.

" _You're leaving?"_ Annie's voice drew Natalie's attention back to the M.

" _Yes, I am afraid I must"_ Morgan said. _"The people of Camelot need my help"_

"And mine" Merlin said, rising out of his chair. "It is time for you to go as well, Natalie. It would not do well for Morgan to see you leaving."

Natalie nodded and turned to leave. Then paused as she heard Annie say " _You won't forget us, will you?"_

" _Never"._ Though Natalie could not see Morgan from where she was now, she could almost hear the smile in Morgan's voice as she spoke. " _You remind me too much of myself. You love the impossible, Annie. And you love knowledge, Jack. What better combination is there?"_

"She is forgetting something" Merlin said. "The love of helping others, as well as the great courage that comes with doing so." He nodded at Natalie and smiled. "And both of these are something that _you_ have in great depth"

Natalie smiled at Merlin as she shrugged into her raincoat and slid on her boots. "Will I see you again soon, Merlin?" She asked.

Merlin's eyes twinkled, but he didn't answer the question, he only motioned for Natalie to get going. Smiling sadly, Natalie stepped up to the hidden door, placed both her hands on the bark and allowed herself to step through it.

Outside, Natalie saw that it had stopped raining. Glancing up, she saw Annie on the ladder and darted into the bushes before her cousin could see her.

She stopped when she felt hidden, but still had a clear view of the tree house. She saw Jack join Annie on the ground.

Both her cousins gazed up at the oak tree and Natalie followed their gaze. Morgan Le Fay was leaning out the window. She waved at them, her long white hair rippled in the breeze.

Jack and Annie waved back.

 _Morgan sounds like a nice person. It's hard to believe that she and Merlin are rivals._ "Maybe I can fix that" She said softly.

Just then, Morgan lifted her head and glanced around. Natalie froze as the enchantress looked in her direction, and held her gaze for several seconds. But if Morgan saw Natalie, she gave no sign of it.

Suddenly the wind began to blow. A loud whistling filled the air. The entire woods seemed to shake. Natalie shut her eyes.

Then all was quiet. Natalie opened her eyes and peered upwards from her hiding place. The tree house was gone, vanished without a trace. The oak tree looked strangely bare without it.

Natalie's gaze drifted back to her cousins and her heart sank. They looked so sad. Natalie suddenly felt the urge to run over and comfort them, but she remembered her promise to Merlin and kept still.

Everyone was silent for a long moment.

Finally, Annie sighed, "Let's go" She said, her voice seemed choked with tears.

Jack didn't speak. He just nodded sadly as they turned to walk away.

"Oh, you guys" Natalie whispered as she watched her cousins walk away. She could feel their pain. All those adventures they had had together, the great times they had had, even though her cousins hadn't known she had been along for the ride. And now those adventures were suddenly over? It didn't feel right.

Suddenly, she saw Jack stop, with his hands in his pockets. His face changed from sad to surprise as he pulled something out of his left pant pocket.

"Look!" he said, holding up his hand. Clutched in it was the gold medallion he had given to Morgan! "How did…?"

Annie's face lit up and she laughed. "Morgan must have put it there!"

"But-but how?" Jack was stunned.

"Magic" Annie smiled at her brother. "I think it means she'll be coming back!"

Now Jack was smiling too. He laughed out loud.

At that moment, beams of sunlight shone through the trees and lit up the wet woods around them.

Natalie glanced around. The sight took her breath away, everything was shining. Leaves, branches, grass, bushes, everything glittered in the afternoon light.

 _It's so beautiful. It's like I'm surrounded by jewelry!_ Natalie sighed happily as she gazed around.

Looking back, she saw Jack and Annie take off towards the road. Smiling, she stepped out to where they could see her and turned away, raised her hands to her lips and called out "Ja-ack! An-nie! Where are you?"

"Natalie?" Annie called out. "Natalie! Over here!"

Natalie turned back and saw Annie waving at her. Smiling, she jogged over to them

"Ah, there you are!" She said as she came up to them.

"What are you doing out here?" Jack asked.

"Looking for you" Natalie said, pretending to be out of breath. "Look Jack, I know you said you didn't want me to help you look for the owner of the medallion, but I want to help you. Six eyes are a lot better than two, or four, in this case"

Jack and Annie exchanged a look.

"Thanks Natalie, but we already found the owner." Jack finally said.

Natalie pretended to look amazed. "You _did_?" She asked, and then pointed to the medallion in Jack's hand. "Then why do you still have that?"

"Well, she said I could keep it" Jack replied.

"Oh she did, huh?" Natalie teased, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, she did" Annie said. "She said… that since we found it, it belonged to us now"

"Like Finders Keepers? I don't know Annie. That kinda sounds like something a thief or a pirate might say" Natalie bit her lip to keep from laughing at her cousin's startled faces.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Annie said, narrowing her eyes.

Still trying to contain her laughter, Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Well, how do I know for sure that you actually found the medallion's owner, and aren't just making up an excuse to keep it?"

Jack slipped the medallion into his pocket and took one of Natalie's hands. "Because I already have all the treasure I could want right here" He said.

"Yeah, who needs gold and jewels, when you have what we have?" Annie smiled and took Natalie's other hand.

"And what exactly is it that you have that's better than gold and jewels?" Natalie asked.

"A home" Annie said.

"A wonderful family" Jack said

"Including one pretty great big cousin" Annie leaned into Natalie.

"For sure" Jack nodded.

"Aww" Natalie cooed, squeezing Jack and Annie's hands, making them giggle.

As the three of them started walking towards their home, Natalie felt a strange feeling come over her. She felt happy, happier than she had felt in a _long_ time.

 _You're right Annie,_ she thought, remembering the greedy look in the eyes of both Jack and the pirates on the island. _Forget the treasure chest, you don't need one to be rich._

Natalie looked around, at the smiling faces of her cousins, at the glittering droplets on the leaves and trees around them, and felt like the richest person alive. _There's treasure everywhere!_

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **And so we come to the end of the fourth book, and with it, the first arc! I plan to post this series arc by arc, meaning I will finish writing all four stories in an arc BEFORE I publish the first one. As a result, it will probably be some time before the next story goes up. Bear with me, it IS coming!**

 **One thing I wanted to focus on in this particular chapter is that Natalie now fully accepts her mission as Jack and Annie's guardian while on these missions. She begins to see her cousins as her new family and she seems to develop a much closer bond with them, and becomes willing to do what needs to be done to keep them safe. Did you see any of that in this story? If so, than I did my job!**

 **I'm really glad that people are enjoying this series so far. I have a lot more interesting ideas lined up, but don't forget, if there is something YOU would like to see happen, please feel free to let me know. I'd be happy to incorporate your ideas into my writing.**

 **FYI: The last line (There's treasure everywhere) is a reference to a comic series I loved to read while growing up. Bonus points to you if you know what comic I'm talking about!**

 **Read and review, as always! The more reviews I see, the more motivated I get to keep writing! I'm already halfway through the second arc, so hopefully it won't be long before the next chapter comes up.**

 **Until next time!)**


	5. Night of the Ninjas

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

 **By Tang Ri Shan**

Night of the Ninjas

" _Natalie."_

Natalie Pope raised her head as a voice reached her ears.

"Huh? Did someone call me?" She glanced around but didn't see anyone nearby.

She had been walking home from a fitness class at the YMCA and the trail she had taken passed right by the Frog Creek Woods. It was almost dark, and the sun had already disappeared. Though the sky was still aglow with red and yellow, it was fast becoming dark blue.

" _Natalie. Can you hear me?"_ The voice came again, it sounded so familiar.

 _Is that Jack and Annie?_ Natalie wondered. But she knew that was impossible, she was sure her cousins were still at the library.

At the same time, Natalie felt a tingling sensation coming from her hand. She looked down, and gasped.

The magical ring that Merlin had given her was glowing and vibrating on her finger!

 _This can mean only one thing,_ Natalie thought as she raised the ring to her lips.

"Merlin, is that you?" She whispered into the ring's stone.

The ring's glow faded as she spoke. It stopped vibrating. Natalie waited with baited breath.

" _Yes Natalie."_ The magician's voice whispered back. _"I need to speak with you at the tree, right away._

"I'm on my way!" Natalie happily whispered back and took off running into the woods.

Beneath the trees it was already dark, crickets chirped to each other as Natalie threaded her way through the trees.

It was hard to see through the darkness, but somehow Natalie avoided bumping into any trees. She pushed through bushes, and hopped over large tree roots, until she came to a small clearing.

"Yes!" She cried, coming to a stop and looking up.

Standing before her was an oak tree, the tallest oak tree in the forest. At the top of the tree, a small tree house lay tucked between two limbs.

 _The magic tree house was back!_

"I wonder where my cousins are going to go this time" Natalie said as she ran to the trunk of the tree and placed her hands upon it.

"Natalie!" Natalie froze as a voice called her name, a voice from above.

Natalie stepped back and looked up at the tree house. A face had appeared at the window, the face of a man with a long white beard.

"Merlin!" Natalie cried out happily.

"Come up! Quickly!" Merlin motioned to her.

Natalie grabbed the rope ladder and started climbing.

The ladder creaked and swayed beneath her as she climbed, but she kept going, climbing higher and higher.

At last, she pulled herself into the tree house.

She looked around and saw books everywhere. Most were neatly stacked, but a few lay scattered on the floor. Natalie grinned as her eyes fell upon four familiar books. One about dinosaurs, one about castles, one about pyramids, and one about pirates.

Merlin was standing next to the window. As Natalie got to her feet, he turned to her. "My thanks for coming so quickly" He said.

"No problem! I was passing by the woods when you called me." Natalie threw her arms around the magician. "It's great to see you again!"

"It is good to see you too, Natalie" Merlin said as Natalie stepped back. But as she did, she noticed the magician was frowning.

"What's wrong?" asked Natalie.

Merlin shook his head sadly and turned to point to an open book sitting near the window. Natalie's eyes widened.

Sitting on the page of the book was a small brown-and-white mouse.

"Aww, who's this?" Natalie reached out to pet the mouse's tiny head.

 _Yikes!_ Natalie gasped and drew her hand back. The mouse was as cold as ice! It sat frozen like a statue, staring up at her with big black eyes.

"This mouse was once a person," Merlin explained. "A person that fell victim to a magical spell. It transformed her into what you now see"

"Oh dear" Natalie reached out to stroke the mouse again. It was still cold and frozen. "Can you change her back?"

Merlin shook his head. "I cannot"

"Why not?" Natalie asked, raising an eyebrow. It seemed like a simple enough deal to her.

"For two reasons, firstly, when it comes to magic, nothing is as 'simple' as it appears" Merlin said, and Natalie's face reddened as she realized the magician had read her thoughts again.

"What do you mean?" Said Natalie

"Casting a spell is simple." Merlin explained. "But _countering_ a spell is difficult. It is one of the reasons why I believe that a wizard should rely on himself first"

"Okay, and what's the second reason?" Natalie asked.

"The second reason is because Morgan is also involved. In fact, one might go so far as to say that Morgan is the _reason_ this has occurred" said Merlin.

"Oh" Natalie nodded. Morgan La Fay, King Arthur's sister, was the creator of the tree house, and Merlin's 'rival' when it came to magic. Merlin had told Natalie that he was forbidden from directly interfering in Morgan's magical affairs and vice versa.

 _Did Morgan place this mouse under a spell?_ Natalie glanced at the small animal and bit her lip. Natalie had encountered Morgan indirectly during her last adventure and had learned firsthand how powerful she could be. The enchantress had trapped Natalie, disguised as a parrot, in what Merlin had called a prison of air.

Natalie shuddered as she remembered how cold Morgan had sounded when Natalie had been imprisoned. She was in no hurry to risk the enchantress's wrath again.

 _Still, we can't leave this person stuck like this, whoever she is!_ Natalie thought, glancing at the mouse again.

Natalie look a deep breath, then looked back up at Merlin. "So, what can we do to help her? She asked.

"As I said, there is nothing _I_ can do, but there is something _you_ can do" Merlin said, handing Natalie a piece of paper. On it was a note that read:

 _ **Help me, under a spell,**_ _ **fi**_ _ **nd**_ _ **4 thin**_

The n in 'thin' seemed to run off the page.

Natalie looked up at Merlin, confused. "What's a thin?"

Merlin glanced at the paper, the corner of his mouth twitched. "I believe she was trying to write _things_."

"Oh" Natalie glanced down at the note again.

Merlin was silent for a moment, then he continued. "As I said, Morgan's involvement forbids me from directly correcting this spell, but I have learned that Morgan plans to have Jack and Annie attempt to break the spell."

"My cousins?" Natalie's eyes widened.

"Yes, and to do so they will need to travel to four separate places in time and collect four special items, one at each place"

"And I'm assuming you want me to follow Jack and Annie as they do this" said Natalie.

"Yes, _and_ no" Merlin said, and there was an amused glint in his eye. "On _this_ adventure, they will be following _you_ "

Natalie was confused. "I don't understand."

Merlin smiled and pointed to an open book nearby. "Please bring me that book over there" He said.

Natalie stooped and picked up the book, but froze as she glanced at the picture on the page. In the fading light, she could just make out a picture of what appeared to be two people fighting with each other.

"Later tonight, Jack and Annie will use the tree house to travel to the days of Old Japan" Merlin explained.

"Japan?" Natalie's eyes widened "You mean, the time of ninjas and samurai?" Natalie _loved_ ninjas, they were one of her favorite things to read about. Her mother had loved them too, so much that she had often dressed as a ninja for Halloween.

"Yes" Merlin nodded his head. "I have a friend there who will be able to help them break the spell. But this person is very hard to find, and even if you find him, acquiring his help can be difficult. Your task will be to find him first _and_ persuade him to help Jack and Annie when they arrive later"

 _Wow, no pressure!_ Natalie thought. She felt a little nervous. Protecting her cousins was one thing, but this felt more...involved than Natalie wanted to be.

Ever since Morgan had imprisoned her, Natalie had thought more and more about what would happen if Morgan discovered her. Since Natalie was acting on Merlin's orders, she had a feeling that Morgan would see Natalie's involvement as a violation of the pact the enchantress had between herself and Merlin.

Natalie's heart fluttered with unease. The _last_ thing Natalie wanted to do was increase tension between Merlin and Morgan.

"You do not have to go if you do not wish" Merlin said, reading Natalie's thoughts. He looked directly into Natalie's eyes. "You have already risked your life a number of times to protect your cousins, and for that I thank you. I do not want you to feel obligated to continue unless you truly wish to do so"

Natalie smiled up at Merlin, swallowing her fear. "Merlin, we've had this conversation before. _Someone_ has to watch Jack and Annie's back on these missions, and you can't do it." She said.

Merlin smiled back. "You honor me with your courage, Natalie. Very well, when you find my friend, give them this message" Merlin handed Natalie a sealed scroll. He raised his staff and murmured something Natalie could not hear.

Outside the tree house, the wind began to blow.

"Wait, we're going _now_?" Natalie shouted over the wind. "What about Jack and Annie?"

"I will drop you off now, and then send the tree house back for them!" Merlin shouted back.

The wind blew harder and Natalie could feel the tree house begin to spin. She had experienced it before, but not like this.

The tree house spun faster and faster, Natalie shut her eyes.

Suddenly, everything was calm, completely calm, and quiet, except for the sound of rushing water.

Natalie opened her eyes and looked out the tree house window.

They had landed in a tree that was covered with white flowers. The tree stood in a grove of many such trees on a mountainside.

A wild stream was flowing nearby. Even from up here, Natalie could see the angry whitecaps of the water below.

Natalie saw movement and gasped as a furry animal that looked like a wildcat appeared on the riverbank and stalked along the water's edge. Its gray fur seemed to shimmer in the late evening light.

"It's so beautiful!" said Natalie. "I've always wanted to go to Japan"

"It _is_ pleasant" Merlin agreed, joining her at the window, "But there is great danger under this beauty. From what I have read, this era of Japan's history is one of civil warfare, where neighbor fought against neighbor."

Natalie shivered in the cool air.

"You must be very careful" Merlin warned. "The Japanese of this time are not very trusting of people who are different, people like you" Merlin ran a finger through Natalie's red hair. "If you approach the wrong person, you could find yourself in great peril"

"So, what should I do?" Natalie looked up at him.

"You must be like the ninja" Merlin smiled at her. "The ninja use nature, they become nature, and they follow nature."

Natalie nodded. "What about you?" She asked.

"I need to send the tree house back" said Merlin. "Once I do that, you will be on your own until Jack and Annie arrive"

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Does Morgan know that you're using _her_ tree house like this?" She wasn't used to such openness when it came to the tree house. She already felt like Merlin was breaking his pact with Morgan by having Natalie help, using the tree house directly like this seemed to be pushing his luck.

A smile flitted across Merlin's face. "Perhaps, but I do not think Morgan is in any position to complain" He said. From the way he spoke, Natalie wondered if he knew more than what he was saying. "Now go, time is of the essence" Merlin motioned to hole in the floor.

Natalie's head buzzed with more questions, but she nodded and started climbing down the rope ladder.

She was halfway down when a thought made her stop.

"But Merlin, how will I know this person when I find them?" She called up.

Merlin's face appeared at the top of the rope ladder. "You will know" He said simply. "Good luck!"

Natalie nodded and started climbing down again. She leapt to the ground.

There was a roar from above her and a rush of wind. When Natalie looked up, the tree house was gone.

 _No turning back now_ , thought Natalie. She glanced around, wondering where to start.

Natalie's eyes lifted up to the mountain on the opposite side of the valley. It was taller than the mountain she was on. _Maybe I'll get a better view from up there_ , she thought.

She started walking towards the mountain, but paused when she came to the edge of the river. The water was crashing and rushing over the rocks. It seemed to growl at her.

Natalie frowned, then reached down and dipped her finger into the rushing water.

She gasped and yanked it out. That water was _cold_! And it was moving so fast!

 _I'm not crossing here!_ Natalie decided, looking around for a better spot.

A flash of movement made her look up.

The wildcat from before had reappeared, but he was on the _other_ side of the river.

 _How did he get over there?_ Natalie wondered. "Excuse me!" she called.

The wildcat froze and looked at her.

"How did you get across the river?" Natalie asked. She felt a little silly asking the cat for help, but having been a cat herself, Natalie had learned that they were very resourceful creatures.

 _Besides, Merlin said the ninja_ _ **use**_ _nature_ , she thought.

The wildcat stared at Natalie for a second. It turned its head to look down the river.

Natalie followed its gaze, craning her head, and saw that a branch had fallen over a narrow section of the river, touching both shores.

"Oh, across that?" Natalie turned back to the wildcat.

The wildcat bobbed its head, as if to say, _of course_.

"Got it! Thanks!" Natalie bowed her head to the wildcat and dashed down the riverside towards the branch.

The closer she got to it, the smaller and more flimsy it looked.

 _That doesn't look very strong!_ Natalie thought. She gulped as she stared at the rushing water below.

By chance, Natalie looked back towards the wildcat, and saw that it was watching her. It waved its tail at her and tilted its head.

Natalie swallowed her fear. _Merlin said that the ninja become nature,_ she thought. _Maybe if I pretend to be a cat, I can make it across that branch_

Natalie thought back to her adventure in ancient Egypt, when Merlin had turned her into a black cat. She tried to remember how she had felt having four paws and a tail. She remembered dashing through a pyramid and perching on furniture. She remembered swiping at a grave robber with her claws.

Almost unconsciously, Natalie felt her tongue curl back in her mouth and a sound passed through her lips. It sounded like a cat's purr. "Mew" She said quietly. "Mew"

 _I am a cat_ , Natalie said to herself. _I'm graceful, I'm brave, and I'm quick!_

Repeating those words in her mind, Natalie started across the branch. She felt the branch shift beneath her and tried not to look down.

"Mew" She said, and quickened her pace. She tried her best to only think of getting across as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell, not into the rough water below, but into the tall grass on the other side of the stream. She had done it!

 _Wow, that wasn't so hard!_ Natalie smiled as she glanced back at the branch. _I guess I just had to do what Merlin said._

"Mew" Natalie looked up the see the wildcat watching her.

She smiled at it. "Thank you"

"Mew" The cat meowed at her, then turned and began slinking through the tall grass. A few feet further, the cat's head popper up and it stared at Natalie with amber eyes, like it wanted her to follow it.

 _Should I?_ Natalie wondered. Merlin had said the ninja _followed_ nature, and the cat hadn't let her down so far. Natalie shrugged her shoulders and began walking after the wildcat.

 _I wonder what kind of cat this is,_ Natalie thought as she followed the cat upriver. _I've never seen anything like it before._ She made a mental note to look it up when she got home.

The cat suddenly froze, its body tensing up, its rounded ears tilting forwards. Natalie saw the fur on its tail begin to rise.

Natalie knew what that meant. Something was coming!

"Mrew!" The cat suddenly yelped and dashed up the rocky slope towards the trees at the top of the mountain. At the same time, Natalie heard heavy footsteps crashing through the bushes.

"You cannot escape!" A rough voice yelled.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie glanced around wildly for a place to hide. The only thing that looked big enough to conceal her was a large bush that sat at the base of a nearby tree. She ran over to it as the footsteps grew louder.

There was another yell from nearby as Natalie reached the bush. Her mouth dropped open in horror. Much of the space behind the bush was taken up by a large rock! There was barely any room for her!

Natalie glanced up as the noise got louder, it sounded like whatever was making it was right on top of her!

 _Merlin said that the ninja use nature._ She said to herself as the footsteps grew louder. By the point, the sun was low enough in the sky that it was casting shadows across the ground. _I guess this bush will have to do!_ Natalie winced as she heard the sound of metal striking metal, followed by a rough cruel laugh.

Natalie pulled up the hood of her black sweatshirt, which was a little big for her, and crouched as low as she could, trying to blend with the shadows of the bush.

The brush nearby rustled wildly and Natalie held her breath.

A figure burst into the clearing.

Natalie gasped. The figure wastall and thin. He wore a black shirt and pants, and had a black scarf over his face. In one hand, he carried a short, curved sword.

"Wow, a ninja!" Natalie whispered in awe. "A real ninja!"

The ninja glanced around, then to Natalie's horror, his eyes fell on the bush that she was hiding behind. Natalie felt icy dread creep u her spine as the ninja began running straight towards her.

Before he had taken a few steps, however, the bushes rattled again and a second man stepped into the open. He was large with a big round belly. He was wearing a filthy robe. His face was nearly hidden under a large black beard and his hair was ragged, like it had never been brushed. A long sword, bigger than the ninja's, was clutched in both hands and the man was huffing and puffing like he has just run a long distance

"There you are!" The second man roared and swung his sword wildly at the ninja.

Natalie watched in awe as the ninja dodged the first swipe and blocked the second one with his own sword, but as he did, the swordsman suddenly twisted his blade and the ninja's sword flew out of his hands and sailed into the river. With a splash, it disappeared beneath the water's surface.

"Fool! You actually thought you could match me in sword fighting! No one can defeat my sword!" The swordsman roared with laughter and charged towards the ninja.

Natalie gasped as a knife seemed to magically appear in the ninja's hands. He used the knife to block the sword blade, but the swordsman kept going, tackling the ninja. As both fell to the ground, the knife dropped to the dirt below and bounced away out of the ninja's reach.

"HA!" The swordsman laughed triumphantly as the ninja squirmed beneath him, but it was no use. "You are mine!"

The ninja grunted and twisted, trying to wriggle out from under the heavy man, but the man just sneered and shifted his weight.

Suddenly, there was a loud CRACK, and the ninja cried out in pain.

"No!" Natalie whispered as she watched the swordsman laugh in a brutish way. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but it sounded like the swordsman was torturing the ninja!

Natalie shifted to get a better view, but as she did, her hands brushed against the twigs of the bush. She froze. It wasn't a loud noise, but she did not want that swordsman finding her.

The swordsman didn't look up, but the ninja did. Natalie's eyes locked with his and both sets of eyes widened.

 _He sees me!_ Natalie realized. She started to get up, but froze when the ninja frantically shook his head at her.

"Ha!" The swordsman laughed. He must have thought the ninja was begging for his life. "It is too late to plead! I have a message for your master. His time is done!"

Natalie's jaw dropped as the man raised his sword over the struggling ninja. "Right after yours" He growled.

Seeing this, Natalie suddenly felt her fear leave her, to be replaced by righteous fury. This guy wasn't just a bully, he was a thug! She couldn't just stand by and do nothing!

Moving quickly, Natalie darted out from behind the bush. Using the swordsman's laughter to mask her footsteps, she crept up behind him, than pounced like a cat. She landed on the swordsman's back and slapped her hands over both the man's ears.

"AAARGH!" The swordsman cried out. The sword fell from his hands as they flew to his ears. Natalie knew how painful such a blow could be, having had it happen to herself only a week ago, in her self-defense classes.

The swordsman reached back, trying to grab her, but Natalie flattened herself against the man's back, wrapping both her arms around his neck. As she had hoped, the man's arms were not long enough to reach her.

Natalie wrinkled her nose as it was suddenly filled with the sour combination of sweat and wine. This guy _seriously_ needed to take a bath!

Seeing the ninja struggle to escape the swordsman's weight, Natalie helped him by delivering a knife hand strike to the man's side.

As she had hoped, this caused the man to shift to one side enough for the ninja to throw him off. As the man went down, the ninja leapt to his feet and moved towards the river to retrieve his sword, but his right leg crumpled beneath him and he collapsed to the ground with a moan of pain.

Natalie saw this in an instant, but was then forced to jump away as the filthy man rolled, trying to crush her under his weight. Natalie darted away out of his reach.

The swordsman glared at Natalie as he got to his feet. "Filthy peasant!" he roared. His teeth were yellow. "You dare strike a samurai?"

Natalie snorted. _This_ was supposed to be a samurai? "Um… _who's_ the filthy one here?" She said, pointing to the swordsman's ragged and stained robe.

The man snarled and raised his sword. "Wretched girl! I will teach you some manners!" He roared, charging towards her.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie felt her fear returning. Quickly she looked around for some kind of weapon.

The only thing within her reach were the smooth river stones at her feet. Almost without thinking, Natalie reached down and grasped one in her hand. She took careful aim, and then threw it at the swordsman with all her might.

The stone struck the man on the jaw and he froze.

For a moment, the man stood there, looking bewildered.

Then, to Natalie's amazement, the man's sword fell from his hands and he toppled to the ground like a fallen tree.

Natalie felt her face pale as she stared at the fallen man. Hearing a gasp, she looked up to see the ninja staring at her with wide eyes.

For a moment, Natalie just stared back at him, then she remembered the ninja's sword. She dashed over to the river and peered into the darkening water.

 _There_! She spotted a flash of metal and plunged her hand in after it.

Natalie gasped as the cold water soaked her sweatshirt sleeve and stung the skin of her hand. It was so cold, that it burned!

Gritting her teeth, Natalie tried to ignore the cold as she groped for the sword. Her hand suddenly found the sword handle, lying on the stony riverbed. She yanked it out with both hands.

The wet blade gleamed in the dimming light, and for a moment Natalie couldn't believe her luck. She was holding an _actual_ ninja sword!

Despite everything that had just happened, Natalie grinned as she turned back and walked to the ninja, who had been crawling towards her.

The ninja's eyes widened again as Natalie knelt in front of him and carefully held his sword out with both hands.

For a moment, neither of them moved, then the ninja slowly reached out and took the sword from Natalie.

Natalie backed away as soon as the blade had left her hands. She smiled at the ninja, and he seemed to relax.

The ninja twisted and managed to return the sword to the scabbard on his back. He tried to stand up again, but his leg refused to support him and he collapsed again with a moan.

Wanting to help him, Natalie came forward again, but froze when she heard a muffled shout.

Whirling around, Natalie gasped as a second ninja, taller and thinner than the first, appeared out of nowhere, his sword drawn as he darted between Natalie and the fallen ninja.

 _Oh great_ , Natalie gulped nervously as she backed away. The second ninja's dark eyes seemed to bore into her. The rest of his face was completely covered by his scarf, but Natalie could tell that he was angry.

Raising her hands, Natalie stared back at the ninja. Slowly, she shook her head. The ninja slowly lowered his sword, then he turned and rushed over to the other ninja.

As the ninja took care of his friend, Natalie turned to the fallen swordsman. She felt guilty a she stared at his limp form. As mean as he had been, she hadn't wanted to really hurt him.

Natalie slowly crept up to the man and placed two fingers on the man's throat, they way she had seen medics do on TV. She felt a small fluttering under her fingers. The man gave a small groan and Natalie sighed with relief. He would be okay.

The sound of footsteps behind her made Natalie whirl around to find both ninja standing right behind her, staring at her. The shorter ninja was leaning on the taller one. He leaned down and picked up the swordsman's fallen sword and tucked it into his belt. Natalie saw that the shorter ninja's leg was tightly wrapped in cloth.

Both ninjas bowed to Natalie, seemingly in gratitude. Natalie bowed back, and the ninjas turned to leave.

A sudden thought struck Natalie. Maybe these ninjas could help her find Merlin's friend!

"No, wait!" Natalie cried, running after them. "Please don't go!"

The ninjas stopped and turned back around.

"I…I need to find someone" Natalie continued as she stepped right up to them. "To deliver a message" She held up the scroll that Merlin had given her.

The short ninja's eyes suddenly widened and he whispered something to the tall ninja.

The tall ninja took the scroll from Natalie and opened it with one hand. Natalie could see his eyes moving as he read whatever writing was on it. He handed it to the shorter ninja, who also read it.

"Can you help me? Please?" Natalie begged, clasping her hands together. Her ring seemed to gleam in the twilight.

The ninjas looked at each other, then back at the scroll. Neither made a sound, Natalie wished she knew what they were thinking.

Finally the tall ninja nodded once. He rolled up the scroll and tucked it into his belt. He looked at Natalie and motioned for her to follow him.

"Thank you" Natalie said as she began to follow the ninjas up the slope. Even though one of them was injured and was limping, the ninjas moved extremely quickly, dodging from rock to rock as quick and as silent as shadows.

Natalie tried her best to imitate them, but she still made a lot of noise. Her breathing labored as she trudged up the mountain. The grass hissed beneath her sneakers.

Natalie was worried about the warrior they had left behind. She kept glancing behind her, her body tense in case he came charging up after them.

Twice, Natalie looked back up to see both ninjas staring at her. But when they saw her looking, they turned and kept walking. They still didn't say a word to her.

At the top of the mountain, they came to a pine forest. The ninjas darted silently from tree to tree, like ghosts. They moved so quickly that Natalie struggled to keep up with them. She was afraid that the ninjas might suddenly disappear and leave her lost in the forest.

Eventually, the ninjas came to a stop. The shorter ninja turned to Natalie and held out his hand, as if to say, _wait here_ , then he turned and they both disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

Natalie glanced around the clearing. It seemed normal enough, birds tweeted sleepily to each other, and the wind whispered in the tree branches.

But Natalie shivered. She felt eyes on her, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt like there were ninja all around her, watching her from the darkening shadows cast by the trees. In the fading light, it was easy to believe.

Natalie was glad when the tall ninja suddenly returned. He motioned for Natalie to follow him. In the shadows between the two trees, Natalie could just make out the opening of a small cave.

 _Here we go_ , Natalie thought as she followed the ninja into the cave.

Inside the cave it was almost completely dark. Natalie could barely see the ninja she was following, which caused her to bump into him when he suddenly came to a stop.

"Sorry" She whispered, darting backwards. She peeked around the ninja.

They had reached the back of the cave, which was lit by dozens of candles.

Natalie's eyes widened. In the flickering light from the candles, Natalie could make out a dark figure sitting on a mat.

 _This must be the ninja master!_ Natalie thought, her eyes wide under her hood. Her mother had told her that ninja masters told the other ninjas what to do.

Her suspicion was confirmed when the ninja bowed to the master than stepped to one side and sat down. The shorter ninja was sitting on the opposite side from him.

Natalie held her breath as all three ninjas stared at her.

"Come, sit." The ninja master finally said. His voice was stern and solid, like a rock. It was the voice of someone you did not want to disobey.

The master motioned to the space in front of him. Natalie glanced at the shorter ninja. He nodded.

Natalie came forward until she was right in front of the mat. She sat down, cross-legged, on the cold hard floor of the cave. Now that she was close, she could see the light from the candles gleaming in the master's eyes. The candlelight also gleamed off a silvery chain that hung around the master's neck. Hanging from the chain was a silvery disk carved with an image that resembled a bird.

"Show me your face" The master said.

Natalie hesitated, then slowly reached up and lowered her hood. Her red hair seemed to gleam in the candlelight.

One of the ninjas gasped and all three of them stared at her intently. Natalie's eyes drifted down to the floor and she squirmed under the ninja's gaze.

"I understand that you have been sent here on an important mission" The master's hand drifted to Merlin's scroll, which lay on the mat next to him.

"Y-yes sir" Natalie nodded, trying to keep her voice steady.

"And I also understand" The master continued, "That you saved a member of my clan, when she was in danger" His eyes flickered to the short ninja for a moment then back to Natalie.

"She?" Natalie's eyes widened. She glanced at the female ninja.

The woman's eyes sparkled under the cloth that covered her face. She looked like she was smiling.

"You have our thanks" The ninja master said.

"Thank you, sir" said Natalie. "But I'm sure she would have done just as well without my…" Natalie paused, trying to think of a word that wasn't going to insult the ninja "…my interference"

The ninja master and the short ninja exchanged a glance. Natalie saw what looked like pride in their eyes. "Perhaps, but still a debt is owed, and honor demands a debt must be paid." The master said after a minute. "How may we assist you in your mission?"

"There will be others passing through here soon" Natalie said, pointing to Merlin's scroll. "You can assist me, by helping me assist them"

The ninja master stared at Natalie for what seemed like minutes, then turned to the tall ninja and made a sign with his hands. The ninja rose to his feet, bowed, and disappeared into the shadows.

"Show me your hand" The master said.

"Pardon?" Natalie was certain she had misheard the master.

"Your hand" said the master.

Natalie extended her left hand to him.

The master shook his head. "The other hand" he said.

Slowly, Natalie extended her right hand. The ring on her finger seemed to glow in the candlelight.

The master examined her hand carefully. "This is a beautiful ring. How did you obtain it?" He asked.

"It was given to me" Natalie said. "By a very wise man, the same man who sent me here on this mission"

Releasing Natalie's hand, the master leaned forward and looked her right in the eyes.

Natalie froze. Her whole body suddenly seemed to tingle and a cold feeling, like a damp cloud, settled over her mind as she gazed into the ninja's eyes. She didn't think she could have looked away if she tried.

After what felt like minutes, the ninja retreated and Natalie blinked. It felt like she had just been released from a spell.

"Master Merlin _is_ a very wise man" He said and clasped his hands together. The light from the candles gleamed on something shiny.

Natalie's jaw dropped. It was a silver ring with a blue stone, exactly like her own! _This must be the person Merlin sent me to find!_ She thought.

"You…you know Merlin _?"_ Natalie said.

"Yes" The master seemed to smile at her. "He is a dear friend. I am pleased to meet another of his students." He bowed his head.

"Oh, I'm not his student. I'm just his friend" Natalie corrected him.

"Master Merlin chooses his friends carefully" The master said. "It is a privilege to be trusted by him"

Natalie nodded, smiling. She wasn't afraid of the ninja master anymore. "I trust him too"

"And if you have his trust, you have mine as well. Through your actions, you have earned the trust of my clan" The ninja master glanced up as the tall ninja reappeared, carrying a bundle in his hands. "Master Merlin came to me in a dream, and told me that a warrior would soon come seeking our aid. A warrior who has the heart of a ninja."

Natalie gasped as the tall ninja laid the bundle out in front of her. It was an assortment of black clothing that looked very much like a ninja uniform.

"You are that warrior, Natalie" The master said.

Natalie looked up at the master. "How do you know my name?" She asked.

The master held up the scroll. "Merlin shares many secrets with his friends" He said simply.

"But I barely know how to fight" Natalie argued. "I can't be a ninja!" Technically that wasn't true. Ever since her castle adventure, Natalie had been studying sword fighting, but she hadn't had much chance to practice, and plus, she had been bigger then.

"Being a ninja is about more than fighting. We are guardians, and we are guides. From the shadows, we work to protect and serve others. Much like you have done" said the master. "You already act like a ninja, but in order to complete this mission, you must truly _become_ a ninja"

Natalie's heart raced as she stared at the clothing. To truly become a ninja! This was a dream come true! But she gave a small shudder as her mind flashed back to the encounter between the ninja and the swordsman. She remembered the flash of steel, and the swordsman's cruel laugh echoed in her ears.

Jack and Annie's faces popped into Natalie's mind. _He said the ninja protect._ Natalie thought, unable to stop the grimace that crossed her face. _Maybe I'm supposed to protect Jack and Annie when they arrive, and the best way to do that is to become a ninja._

She took a deep breath and nodded to the master, who nodded to the tall ninja, who turned and left the cave.

Natalie pulled off her black sweatshirt, her socks, and her sneakers. She picked up the black ninja jacket and slipped it on over her dark blue t shirt, arranging it so the two flaps overlapped each other. She tied the drawstrings securely in a double knot and flattened it against her stomach.

Next, she picked up the black gauntlets and slid them onto her arms, slipping them over the sleeves of the jacket. She found a little loop at the end of each gauntlet and wrapped it around her middle finger. Then she tied the gauntlets tightly at the wrist.

She picked up the black split-toe socks and slid them on her feet. She expected them to be rough, but to her surprise, they were soft as silk.

Getting to her feet, Natalie picked up the ninja trousers and slipped them on over her jeans. Good thing they were so baggy. She took the drawstrings on them and pulled them forward, then back around her waist, tying them behind her.

Then she picked up two black pads with strings and wrapped them around her calves, tying the strings tightly.

These were followed by the slippers, which slipped smoothly onto her feet, and were secured with straps around her ankles.

Next, Natalie picked up the black cloth belt and tied it tightly around her waist, over the double knot. She tucked the loose ends into the belt so nothing was hanging out.

Natalie couldn't help smiling as she tied her hair into a small ponytail and secured it with a hair band. Picking up the head cloth, she tied it around her forehead and draped it over her head, wrapping both hanging ends around her neck and throat until they were secure. She felt her head to make sure her red hair was covered.

Finally, she picked up the mask cloth and placed it over her mouth and nose, tying it behind her head tightly.

Natalie stared down at herself, admiring her new outfit. She wished that there was a mirror in the cave, so she could see what she looked like now.

"It suits you" The master said. Natalie could tell he was smiling under his mask.

Her eyes shining, Natalie dropped to one knee and bowed to the ninja master. "Thank you, master" She whispered.

The ninja master's eyes twinkled and he motioned to the tall ninja, who had returned without Natalie noticing. The ninja stepped forward with something long and thin in his hands.

Natalie's eyes widened as she took in the sheathed sword in the ninja's hands.

"Do not be too eager" The ninja master said. The tall ninja partially unsheathed the blade, revealing it was made of wood, not metal. "This is a training sword"

Natalie felt a twinge of disappointment as she took the wooden sword from the ninja and strapped it to her back, but she didn't complain. If she could drop a warrior with just a stone, she could probably do just as well with a wooden sword.

"But the ninja has many weapons at their disposal" The master continued, and held out his hands. In one were a cluster of what appeared to be eggs. In the other hand were several metal stars.

 _Shuriken!_ Natalie gasped, reaching for them reverently. The tall ninja showed her how to hide them on her new uniform.

"What are these?" She asked, picking up an egg.

"Smoke bombs" The master replied. "One of the ninja's best tools is misdirection"

"I see" Natalie grinned as she carefully placed the bombs in a pocket of her jacket.

Finally, the tall ninja handed her a pair of iron bands with curved spikes on them, like claws. Natalie strapped those to her hands so the claws were on her palms.

"You are ready" The ninja master said. "I sense your friends will soon be arriving. Find them, and bring them to me." He nodded to the tall ninja. "He will go with you"

Natalie and the tall ninja bowed to the master and turned to leave.

The master's voice stopped her. "Remember Natalie, there are three key tools of the ninja; Speed, Secrecy, and Silence. You will need to use them all if you are to succeed."

Natalie nodded to the master, and then the two ninjas left the cave.

Outside, the sun was setting, casting even longer shadows on the ground.

Natalie and the tall ninja looked at each other. The tall ninja tilted his head as if asking, _where should we go?_

Natalie thought for a moment. _I guess where I started is as good a place as any_. She realized, remembering how much of the valley she had been able to see from her arrival point.

She motioned for the tall ninja to follow her and they started back the way they had come.

 _This is so cool!_ Natalie thought as she darted from tree to tree, heading back towards the river. _I'm actually going on a real ninja mission!_

Natalie tried to keep her mind calm, her breathing steady. A real ninja would not feel giddy about such an assignment, so neither would she.

Reaching the rocky mountainside, Natalie took a moment to scout the valley below. Her heart sank. The clearing where she had met the ninja was empty, the swordsman was gone.

 _Maybe he just moved on_. Natalie thought hopefully, but something told her that was probably not the case. Whatever the reason, they needed to find Jack and Annie as soon as possible.

Natalie met the ninja's eye. She pointed to the riverbank, then to the large rocks on the other side.

The ninja nodded and the two of them silently crept down the mountainside. Natalie kept low as she moved, glancing all around, half expecting the samurai to pop out from behind a rock, or a tree. But they reached the riverbank without meeting a soul.

Natalie stared at the rough water rushing past them. She turned and started back towards the branch she had used to cross earlier, but stopped when she felt the ninja's hand on her shoulder. He pointed to the bank directly across from them.

 _He wants to cross_ _ **here**_ _?_ Natalie looked at the angry water. She didn't think that was a good idea. _It would be faster though_ , she realized. The grove of trees where the Tree House had been was directly across from them.

Natalie took a deep breath, and stepped into the water.

She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips, or the shivering that came after it. Her ninja gear was no protection from the cold water. Natalie's arms and legs seemed to instantly go numb.

Still shivering, Natalie glanced at the ninja, who was watching her. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a bamboo tube and beckoned her over.

Natalie was only too happy to get out of the water. She crossed over to the ninja, who handed her the tube. To Natalie's surprise, she could feel heat coming from the bamboo. Both ends of the tube were tightly sealed.

Natalie suddenly remembered reading something in a book on how people would put embers into bamboo tubes, which would keep heat for several hours. _Clever!_ She smiled beneath her mask as she tucked the bamboo tube into her jacket, over her heart.

She nodded at the ninja, then noticed a streak of light shoot across the darkening sky behind him. The shooting star snapped Natalie back to her senses. Time was running out!

Turning back to the water, Natalie winced as she stepped back into the stream, but found that, even though the icy water came up to her waist, Natalie wasn't bothered by the cold this time.

On the other side of the stream, Natalie gazed up at the tree where the tree house had been. There was no sign of it now, so she turned and walked towards a large rock that jutted out over the stream.

Natalie perched on the rock and stared down at the valley, watching the water race downhill.

She could feel the other ninja's presence next to her. _Should I try to make conversation_? Natalie wondered, but decided against it. _Hey, it's not like_ _ **he's**_ _talking much either._

Natalie crouched down, staring at the water as it flowed past. She shivered slightly as she remembered how cold the water had been as they had waded through it.

 _Getting Jack and Annie across this will be no easy task_! Natalie thought. _Especially Jack!_ Natalie's cousin was _not_ fond of the cold.

Natalie suddenly froze as she felt a cold feeling creep across her back. She remembered that feeling, it had happened every time Morgan La Fay had been nearby!

 _What's Morgan doing_ _ **here**_ _?_ Natalie wondered nervously. Had she somehow found out what Merlin was up to? Had she come to imprison Natalie again?

Natalie's heart fluttered as her hand drifted towards her sword. But then she suddenly paused as the cold feeling went away as quickly as it had come.

Natalie slowly rose to her feet and scanned the valley below. There was no sign of the enchantress, but Natalie was certain she was nearby, which also meant that the tree house was here.

 _Maybe Morgan came here with Jack and Annie_. Natalie reasoned. _Maybe that's why I can feel her presence._ The more she thought about it, the more sense it made to her.

 _Squeak!_ Natalie's eyes widened as a tiny squeak reached her ears. Maybe she was just hearing things, but she instantly thought of the little mouse Merlin had shown her.

Natalie tensed as she looked at the other ninja, who nodded at her. He must have heard it too! Whatever that noise was, it had come from behind them. Slowly they turned.

Behind them, a little way up the mountain, was another grove of trees that were covered with white flowers. In one of these trees, was the magic tree house, and peering out the window of the tree house, were Jack and Annie!

" _E-hy!"_ The other ninja cried out and dashed towards the tree.

 _Here we go!_ Natalie couldn't help grinning as she raced after him.

"Oh no!" She heard Annie cry from above. Her two cousins disappeared from the window.

As she followed the ninja to the base of the tree, Natalie heard yelling from inside the tree house and saw the rope ladder suddenly start to rise. Jack and Annie were pulling it up.

The ninja glanced back at Natalie as he ran and opened his hands. The iron spikes gleamed in the dim light.

Natalie nodded back at him. _Now we'll see how all those strength classes I've been taking pay off!_ She thought as she and the ninja both leapt at the trunk of the tree.

Natalie felt the iron spikes on her hands sink into the bark of the tree. For a second, she hung there like a squirrel. Then she saw the tall ninja start to climb up the tree, and she followed.

Slapping her palms against the tree, Natalie climbed up the side of the trunk just like a cat. Surprisingly, she didn't feel tired at all!

In what seemed like no time at all, Natalie reached the hole in the tree house floor and crawled in after the tall ninja.

The inside of the tree house was dark and quiet. Natalie saw Jack and Annie huddled in a far corner, staring at them. Jack's gaze was full of fear, Annie's was full of wonder.

 _Squeak!_

The brown-and-white mouse that Merlin had showed Natalie peeked out from the pouch in Annie's sweatshirt.

The bands on Natalie's hands were beginning to itch, so she pulled them off her hands. She saw the tall ninja do the same.

Annie's eyes widened as she saw the spikes. "That's how they climbed the tree" She whispered to Jack.

Natalie wasn't sure if Jack had heard Annie or not. He was staring at them pretty much like the way he had stared at Queen Hutepi. Natalie wondered if he was frozen with fear.

Annie clearly wasn't afraid though, because she stepped right up to them. "Hi" She said, waving a hand at them.

 _Hi yourself_. Natalie thought, fighting to urge to speak. She simply stood there.

"We're here to help our friend, Morgan" Said Annie, holding up a piece of paper. "This is from her"

Natalie watched the tall ninja take the paper from Annie and glance at it, then he handed it to her.

Natalie stared down at it. It was the same note that Merlin had shown her.

 _W_ _ait, Morgan wrote this?_ Natalie was confused. _But I thought…_

Natalie raised her eyes from the note to find the tall ninja staring at her. He said nothing, but Natalie could see confusion in his eyes.

Natalie looked back at Jack and Annie, they were staring at her. Even the mouse was looking at her.

Natalie stared back at the mouse, it squeaked at her and then hid inside of Annie's pocket.

Natalie wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she decided to go with the flow. She nodded to the tall ninja and folded the note, placing it into a pocket of her shirt.

"You can help us?" Annie asked hopefully.

Natalie held her gaze for a moment, then moved over to where the rope ladder lay coiled next to the hole in the floor. She grabbed it and tossed it back out of the tree house.

The tall ninja pointed to the ladder, then pointed to Jack and Annie.

"Us? Go with you?" Annie asked.

Both Natalie and the tall ninja nodded.

"Oh boy!" Annie squealed.

Jack looked at Annie like she was nuts.

Natalie clamped her lips together to block the laughter in her throat. _Figures Annie would get excited about things like this_. She thought as she darted through the hole and quickly scaled down the rope ladder.

Once on the ground, she glanced up to see the other ninja following her. He moved hand over hand. His feet weren't even touching the rungs of the ladder.

Natalie was impressed. _I need to learn how to do that!_ She thought as the ninja dropped silently to the ground beside her.

The tall ninja met her gaze and pointed, first to her, then towards the mountain. The meaning was clear, _you take the lead_.

Natalie nodded, but inside she felt nervous. She wasn't sure she was very familiar with their terrain. _I hope I don't get us lost!_ She worried.

"Come back!" Natalie looked up to see Annie coming down the ladder. She reached the ground and leapt off the ladder.

"Come on Jack!" She called up. Finally, Jack appeared on the ladder and slowly made his way down.

By the time all four of them were back on the ground, the sun had set behind the hills and the sky was streaked with pink and gold.

 _Squeak!_ The mouse peeked out from Annie's sweatshirt pouch again.

"Don't be scared Peanut" Natalie heard Annie whisper. "I'll take care of you"

 _So Annie's calling the mouse 'Peanut',_ thought Natalie. _That's not a bad name_.

Natalie took Jack's arm in one hand and Annie's arm in the other and began to lead them towards the river.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

 _You'll see_ , thought Natalie, steering them towards where she and the ninja had forded the stream.

Natalie came to a stop at the water's edge, let go of her cousin's hands, and pushed them towards the stream.

"You want us to cross it?" Annie shouted over the roar of the water.

Natalie nodded, stepping into the water, the tall ninja right beside her. Natalie winced slightly as she felt the cold seep into her skin but, like before, the heated tube kept the worst of it away.

"Let's run back to the tree house!" Jack's voice made Natalie pause. She glanced back.

Jack was staring fearfully at the rushing water.

"No, we have to follow them!" Annie argued. "For Morgan's sake!"

 _What are they talking about?_ Natalie wondered as she waded further. Then she froze as a sudden thought struck her. _Could Morgan be the one under the spell?_ _Could that mouse be…?"_

"YIKES!" A pair of screams made Natalie turn around, Jack and Annie had leapt back onto the bank. Their feet were wet and they were both shivering.

 _Oh come on! It's not THAT cold!_ Natalie thought to herself. But then she remembered the bamboo tube in her uniform. She instantly felt guilty.

"I c-can't go back in" said Annie, shivering.

"M-me neither" Jack added. "I'll get a heart attack"

 _Great! Now what?_ Natalie wondered.

She and the tall ninja looked at each other. Then they both came back to shore.

"Help!" Jack cried as the tall ninja grabbed him.

But he lifted Jack high into the air and placed him on his shoulder

 _Oh, I get it!_ Natalie realized what he was doing and grabbed Annie around the waist and lifted her up.

"Woah!" Annie cried as she settled on Natalie's shoulder.

 _Hang on!_ Natalie thought as she stepped into the stream again. She felt the icy water swirl around her waist, but the ember-filled bamboo tube over her heart kept cold from affecting her.

Natalie kept her breathing steady as she walked across the stream, the tall ninja at her side.

All too soon, the water became shallow again and Natalie stepped onto dry land. She lowered Annie to the ground.

"Thanks" Annie said, looking up at her.

 _You're welcome._ Natalie thought.

The tall ninja lowered Jack to the ground.

"Thanks" said Jack.

 _Squeak!_ The mouse looked up at Natalie.

Natalie exchanged a glance with the tall ninja, then motioned for Jack and Annie to follow her up the mountainside.

As she moved, she tried to remember the three tools of the ninja that the master had told her, speed, secrecy, and silence. She moved quickly, she darted from rock to rock, keeping to the shadows, and she tried to make as little noise as possible.

She felt, rather than heard, the tall ninja beside her. He was like a shadow himself.

She _definitely_ heard Jack and Annie. She heard them breathing heavily as they tried to keep up, she heard their wet sneakers squishing as they climbed.

Suddenly, Natalie froze. She could hear voices, unfamiliar voices. She turned to look back down into the valley. She could see torches burning in the mist below. Her eyes met the tall ninja. She saw alarm in his gaze.

 _That had better not be what I think it is!_ Natalie thought as she started moving faster up the mountainside, the tall ninja right beside her. Maybe the swordsman she had knocked out earlier had come back with help!

"Who's carrying the torches?" Annie asked as she and Jack hurried to keep up with her.

 _No one we want to meet!_ Thought Natalie. She shuddered as she remembered the ugly sneer on the swordsman's face.

They soon reached the top of the mountain and entered the pine forest. Night birds called to each other as Natalie and the tall ninja darted from shadow to shadow. She could hear Jack and Annie struggling to keep up with her and smiled. It was nice to have them following _her_ for a change.

Eventually, they came to the clearing where the cave was and Natalie glanced at the tall ninja. He nodded to her.

Natalie turned as Jack and Annie staggered into the clearing. She held up a hand, motioning for them to wait, then both she and the tall ninja stepped into the shadows. The tall ninja ducked into the hidden cave while Natalie kept watch over Jack and Annie.

"Where did they go?" asked Annie.

"I don't know" Jack said, reaching for his pack. "Maybe the book can tell us"

He pulled a book from his pack and flipped through the pages until he stopped. Holding the book out so the moon shone on the pages, he read aloud:

" **Sometimes ninjas held meetings in hidden mountain caves to plan secret missions."**

"Oh man" said Jack. "I'll bet they went inside a hidden cave"

"Really?" Annie's eyes widened. She glanced towards Natalie, her eyes narrowed. "I don't see it"

 _That's why it's a_ _ **hidden**_ _cave!_ Natalie snickered quietly.

" **Ninjas took orders from a ninja master"** Jack kept reading. " **The master was a mysterious wise person who knew many secrets of nature** "

"Wow" Jack and Annie stared at each other.

 _No argument there!_ Natalie smiled under her mask.

A sudden motion at Natalie's shoulder made her tense, but it was only the tall ninja. He nodded to her.

 _Perfect!_ Natalie nodded back and both of them stepped out into the light.

Annie gasped when she saw them and Jack quickly put his book away.

Natalie motioned for Jack and Annie to follow her and she led them towards the mouth of the cave.

Natalie led her cousins through the darkness of the cave until they reached the candle-lit back.

The ninja master was waiting for them, in the exact same place he had been when Natalie had first seen him.

Natalie motioned for Jack and Annie to stay back, then stepped forward and whispered "These are the ones" to the ninja master before handing him the message she had taken from Annie. She bowed and stepped to one side until she felt her back press against the cave wall. She sat down, cross-legged.

The cave was silent as the ninja master stared at Jack and Annie.

"Sit" He finally said.

Jack and Annie sat on the floor.

 _Squeak!_

Natalie saw the mouse poke its head out from the pouch in Annie's sweatshirt.

"Shh. It's okay Peanut" Annie whispered.

The ninja master stared at the mouse for a long moment. The mouse stared back at the ninja master.

The master eventually lifted his gaze to Jack. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm Jack, and this is my sister Annie" Jack answered. Though his voice was calm, Natalie could see his hands were shaking.

"Where do you come from?" The ninja master asked.

"Frog Creek, Pennsylvania" Annie answered this time.

The ninja master looked at her. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"We're trying to help our friend, Morgan le Fay" Jack answered. "She left us a message"

Annie pointed to Natalie. "We gave the message to him"

"You mean you gave the message to _her"_ The ninja master corrected Annie. "And _she_ has given it to me"

" _She?"_ Jack and Annie exclaimed together, looking at Natalie.

 _Didn't see that coming, did you?_ Natalie thought as she winked playfully at her cousins.

"Cool!" Annie grinned at her. Natalie was glad that her ninja garb hid her smiling face.

The master held up Morgan's note and read it carefully. "Perhaps I _can_ help you" He said, folding the paper. "But first, you must prove yourselves worthy of my help."

"How?" Annie asked.

But before the ninja master could answer there was movement from the cave entrance. The tall ninja stepped out of the shadows and dashed to the master. Bowing to him, the ninja made a series of signs with his hands that Natalie could not understand.

The ninja master stood up suddenly. He handed Morgan's note to Annie.

"We must go now" He said, his voice suddenly firm. "The samurai are close"

"Samurai?" Jack gasped.

Natalie's eyes widened, remembering the swordsman she had fought earlier. He said he was a samurai. Natalie hadn't believed him but now it looked like he _had_ been telling the truth.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie stiffened as a horrible thought entered her head. _What if those samurai are looking for me? If they find the ninja clan, it will be my fault!_

"Were they the ones in the valley? The ones with the torches?" Asked Annie

"Yes, our family is at war with them." The ninja master said as he strapped on his sword. "We must leave now before they find us"

 _Does he mean me too?_ Natalie wondered. As much as she was enjoying being a ninja and as much as she wanted to help the Ninja Master's clan, Natalie knew that protecting her cousins came first.

"But what about helping Morgan?" Said Annie.

"I have no time to help you now" The master turned to face Natalie. "We must go"

Natalie wanted to argue, but from the way the master was staring, she knew he would not take no for an answer, so she nodded and came to his side.

"Can't we go with you?" Annie asked.

"No" The master shook his head. "There is no place for you where we are going. You must find your way back to your house in the trees"

"Alone?" Jack's face seemed to turn white.

"Yes." The master nodded. "You must go alone. And beware of the samurai."

"W-why?" Jack asked.

"In your strange garb, they will think you are one of us" The master said, looking at the jeans and sweatshirts that Jack and Annie were wearing. "If they capture you, they will ask you no questions, and they will show you no mercy"

Images of the scuffle Natalie had witnessed earlier flashed through her mind. She knew the master was dead serious.

"Yikes" Now Annie's face looked pale and Natalie's heart went out to them.

"Do not worry" The master said, looking at each of them. "Now that you have seen the way of the ninja, you can practice it yourselves."

"H-how?" Jack asked.

"By remembering three things" Said the master

"What?"

"Use Nature. Be Nature. Follow Nature"

Natalie smiled as she remembered Merlin telling her the exact same thing.

Annie's face brightened. "I can do that!" She said.

Jack looked at her. "You can?"

"Your tree house lies to the east. That is the way you must go" He said, then turned to Natalie and the tall ninja. "Take them to the entrance then come back to me"

Natalie nodded. The ninja master bowed to Jack and Annie, then stepped back into the shadows, and disappeared.

The tall ninja motioned for Jack and Annie to follow and he lead them out of the cave. Natalie brought up the rear, her mind whirring.

 _What do I do?_ Natalie wondered. _The ninja clan may be in danger because of me! I don't want any of them getting hurt, but I can't abandon my cousins! Especially when they could be in danger too!_

Outside, the light from the full moon had made the ground turn silver. The tall ninja pointed towards the pine forest. Then he disappeared into the darkness.

With a heavy heart, Natalie also stepped back into the shadows until she was certain Jack and Annie could no longer see her.

For a long moment, Jack and Annie stood still, staring out at the darkness around them.

"Well, I guess the tall ninja was pointing to the east" Annie finally broke the silence. "I guess that's the way we should go"

"Wait, I need to write some things down" Jack said, and he took out his notebook.

Natalie felt her gaze drop to the ground. She felt torn. She loved being a ninja! But she also loved her cousins. She clenched her fists. What should she do?

"Look, Jack" Annie's voice made Natalie look up. Annie had pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and had tied the strings very tightly. "Do I look like a ninja?"

Natalie felt a chuckle escape her lips. Annie _did_ look like a ninja, a very small one.

"Good Idea" Jack said, and did the same with his hood.

"Okay, let's go" Said Annie, and she and Jack darted through the trees, heading east.

Natalie watched them go, and made her decision. She had to follow Jack and Annie. That was the whole reason she was here. She just hoped the ninja master would understand.

Natalie jumped as she felt a tap on her arm. The tall ninja had appeared out of nowhere. He motioned Natalie to follow and she did.

The ninja led her through the trees until they came to another clearing. When Natalie stepped out into the moonlight, her eyes widened.

The ninja master was there, but he was not alone. At least twelve other ninja crouched silently around him.

Natalie shuddered as she joined the circle. Her heart was racing. She could see the master carving something into the dirt with the flat of his sword. It looked like some kind of blueprint.

"Ah, there you are" The ninja master said as he spotted Natalie. "Are Jack and Annie on their way?"

Natalie slowly nodded. "Yes, but there's…"

"Excellent" The Ninja master nodded and motioned for them to sit. The tall ninja crouched down, but Natalie remained standing.

The ninja master's eyes narrowed as he took notice. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Natalie felt the eye of every ninja in the clearing rest on her. She took a deep breath.

"Master, I'm sorry, but I…I can't go with you" She said, her voice shaking.

"Oh? Why is that?" The master asked. His eyes were hard. Natalie wished he wouldn't look at her like that.

"If that man I…. knocked out before…told other people about what happened, then the samurai in the valley are probably looking for me. I can't risk putting you, or any of your clan, in any more danger by staying here. If that brute wants me, the least I can do is make sure he doesn't find you." Natalie explained, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I see" The master said slowly. His expression did not change.

"There is another reason" Natalie felt her knees shake as she looked the master in the eye. "I didn't tell you this earlier, but Jack and Annie are my family, and family is important to me. I made a promise to keep them safe, and that's a promise I must keep. I lost both of my parents because I couldn't help them. I won't risk losing Jack and Annie the same way"

The ninja master just gazed at her. Natalie wished he would say something.

"I'm sorry if this disappoints you, and I truly appreciate all you have shown me, but I have to go now" Natalie got down on her knees and bowed so low that her forehead scraped in the dirt.

Natalie reached up and started to untie her head cloth, but froze as she felt a hand grab and hold hers in an iron grip. She waited, her muscles tense.

For a long moment, there was silence, then Natalie felt the hand holding hers let go. She looked up.

The ninja master's eyes were twinkling and Natalie was pretty sure he was smiling. "Such selflessness, such loyalty to family" He said. "You bring honor to our clan with your courage" He bowed low to Natalie and, to her surprise, so too did the other ninja.

 _Wow, wasn't expecting that!_ Natalie thought, feeling her face heat up under her mask.

"We understand the bonds of loyalty between family, and of what must be done to protect them." The master said, gazing at the assembled ninja. His gaze paused on one and he made a sign with his hands. The ninja rose to his feet, bowed to the master, and darted off into the darkness. "And so, we understand that you must leave us. Go, with our blessing, and protect your family."

Natalie's heart leapt. "Oh, thank you" She said, and felt tears come to her eyes. She bowed to the master and turned to leave.

The master's voice stopped her. "Before you go however, we have something for you."

Natalie turned back as the ninja that had left returned, carrying a large sack. The sack made a strange clanking noise as the ninja put it down in front of them. Natalie noticed that the ninja placed it directly over the building plan that the ninja master had been carving.

"What is it?" Asked Natalie

"Something to aid you in your task" The ninja master replied and motioned for Natalie to open the sack.

Fingers trembling, Natalie untied the knot, and gasped out loud. Inside the sack was what appeared to be a collection of bamboo-and-metal armor.

Natalie reached in and pulled out a shiny helmet that gleamed in the moonlight. It had large projections that curved gracefully away from both sides and a metal crescent-shaped headpiece on the front. It came complete with a metal mask that would cover most of the wearer's face.

Natalie looked up at the master, her eyes wide. "This is samurai armor, isn't it?" She whispered.

The master nodded his head. "Tonight, you have walked the path of the ninja. But to better protect your family, you must now walk the path of the samurai. Wear this armor, and the samurai should not bother you"

" _Should_ not?" Natalie gulped. That did not sound promising.

The short ninja suddenly rose stiffly to her feet and bowed to the master. She made a sign with her hands.

The master nodded and the short ninja turned to Natalie, who flinched as the ninja drew her sword out of the sheath on her back. But the ninja then dropped to one knee and held the sword out to Natalie in both hands.

 _Is she…?_ Natalie looked at the ninja master, who nodded. Slowly, Natalie reached out and her hand closed around the hilt of the sword, and the other hand around the flat of the blade. She lifted it up out of the ninja's hands, and then almost dropped it as the blade flashed in the moonlight.

Natalie felt a strange feeling in her heart as she held the ninja's sword. It was like the blade was singing to her. It made her feel both hot and cold at the same time.

"Remember Natalie, this is a tool, not a toy" The Ninja master's voice was firm as she gazed at the blade in wonder. "The sword is a harsh teacher and forgives no mistake. You must always show it great respect"

"Yes, master. I understand" Natalie's voice trembled as she carefully placed the sword on the ground. Turning to the now sword-less ninja, she bowed. "Thank you. I will take good care of your weapon" She said.

The ninja did not speak, but this time her gaze did meet Natalie's and Natalie could see respect and even a little admiration in her eyes. She bowed back to her.

"One of us will stay to help you get fitted" The ninja master rose to his feet, as did the other ninja. "After that you are on your own. Good luck Natalie" The master bowed and disappeared into the shadows, followed by the other ninja, except for one, who turned over the sack of armor and emptied its contents onto the ground.

The ninja motioned for Natalie to remove her head cloth, and Natalie obeyed. It felt good to let her hair flow again and Natalie sighed happily as she ran her fingers through it.

Natalie paused as she heard a gasp and turned to see the ninja staring wide-eyed at her.

"What? What's wrong?" Natalie whirled to look behind her, but couldn't see anything wrong. Natalie turned back to the ninja, who slowly raised a hand to his head.

Suddenly Natalie understood. "Oh, my hair "She said, raising a long bang. It seemed to glow in the moonlight. She giggled. "I bet you aren't used to seeing people with red hair, are you?"

The ninja slowly reached out, but then paused. Natalie smiled and knelt forward so the ninja could run his fingers through her hair. The ninja's touch was soft, and gave Natalie goosebumps.

Natalie heard the ninja whisper something. She didn't catch what it was, but she could tell that the ninja's voice was that of a woman. She smiled up at the female ninja, and the ninja's eyes seemed to shine.

Nodding to Natalie, the ninja turned and began to rummage through the cluster of armor. She laid the armor out piece by piece and Natalie marveled at the craftsmanship of the armor, but she also felt a little uneasy. The armor was most likely meant for an adult samurai, not for a kid. But the master seemed to think it would fit her, so she decided to go along with it.

The ninja approached Natalie first with a pair of leg guards. Natalie sat down and the ninja helped buckle them into place over her calves and shins. Part of the armor also covered the top of her foot and was held in place by a strap that went under her slippers. These were followed by a belt with large sheets of bamboo hanging from it. The ninja helped Natalie arrange the belt so the sheets hung over her thighs.

While Natalie jumped, and bent her legs in her new leg armor, the ninja returned to the pile and came back with a pair of tough gloves. Natalie took them and slipped her fingers into them, struggling a little by the stiffness of the material. The gloves were followed by what looked like a pair of long armored shirt sleeves.

One by one, Natalie slipped her hands into them, the armored sleeves went all the way up past her elbow to just below her shoulders, as the ninja tied them in place, Natalie flexed her arms, experimenting. Though stiff, the armored sleeves were surprisingly flexible.

The ninja was moving faster now, perhaps eager to rejoin with the rest of the clan. She handed Natalie an armored vest, which she slipped on over her ninja uniform and tied in place. This was followed by chest armor that buckled into place over the vest. Next came another belt, but this one had large squares of bamboo that hung from it. The ninja helped Natalie secure it around her waist so that the squares of bamboo hung down over her upper legs like a big armored skirt.

Then came a pair of very large bamboo pads. The ninja clipped them onto the top of the chest armor so they hung down over Natalie's shoulders and almost reached her elbows. This was followed by what looked like a small collar that the ninja carefully placed around Natalie's throat, and tied in place so the hanging bamboo covered the gap between her neck and the top of her chest armor.

As the ninja stepped back to the sack, Natalie gazed down at the armor that now stretched from her feet to her neck. It didn't cover her completely, as the knight armor she had worn, but it was surprisingly comfortable. Natalie took a few steps, she swung her arms, she jumped; the armor was very lightweight.

Natalie smiled. _Now this is real armor!_ She thought to herself. It was protective, but still very comfortable. As she turned back around, she saw the ninja watching her, her eyes twinkling. Natalie smiled at her, but then stopped as she noticed something.

 _She and the ninja were now the exact same height!_

Somehow, Natalie's body had grown to fit the armor. Before she could wonder about it, the ninja stepped forward. Natalie's eyes widened as she saw a sword belt in her hands. Two sheathes hung from it, one held the sword the short ninja had given to her, the other contained a longer sword.

Natalie and the ninja bowed to each other as Natalie took the belt and, almost reverently, tied it in place so that the two sheathes hung from her left hip and draped behind her.

Scarcely had Natalie finished that when the ninja returned with two things in her hands. One was a black cloth, the other was the metal mask that had come with the samurai helmet.

Natalie nodded at her and carefully sank to her knees, allowing the ninja to tie her red hair up into a bun, which she then covered with the black cloth and tied tightly. Then, she handed Natalie the metal mask and stepped away towards the helmet. Natalie gazed at the mask for a moment, then turned it over and pressed it against her face. The cool metal covered her nose and mouth and she could feel it stretch down as far as her chin and as far back as her ears. She stretched the ties around the back of her head and tied them in place, like a Halloween mask.

Natalie could hear her breath echo inside her new mask as the ninja approached her one last time, holding the elegant helmet. Natalie took it from her, raised it up, and slowly lowered it onto her head. She could feel the metal and bamboo running down the back of her neck to her shoulder armor and adjusted it so it sat snugly over her own head and tied the helmet strings around her chin like a bicycle helmet.

The ninja stepped back, admiring her work. Natalie smiled at the ninja, and the ninja appeared to smile back at her. She pointed in the direction Natalie had come, and then bowed low to Natalie.

"Thank you, for everything" Natalie's voice echoed as she bowed back. When she looked up, the ninja was gone.

Natalie was alone.

 _Okay, I'd better catch up with Jack and Annie_ , Natalie thought and began retracing her steps through the trees.

She quickly found the clearing where the cave was and quickly crossed it.

Her armor rattled as she walked, making her stop. When the noise stopped, she started walking again, but the armor began rattling again.

 _Okay, samurai armor is clearly NOT built for stealth_ , Natalie noted, trying to stop the noise by pressing her hands against pieces of the armor. It didn't work.

 _This is ridiculous!_ Natalie groaned as she walked. _At this rate, Jack and Annie will hear me coming long before they see me!_

Natalie pushed her way through trees, trees, and more trees. Her breath echoed in her ears under the metal face mask. She felt her clothing, still wet from two trips across the icy river, begin to itch under her ninja garb and samurai armor.

 _What's that?_ Natalie paused as she glanced at a moonlit patch of soil ahead. Something was different about it. Natalie stepped forward to investigate.

A large stick was sticking up out of the soil in the center of the moonlight.

Natalie's eyes narrowed. _That's not natural,_ she thought, shutting her eyes. _Where have I seen that before?_

Natalie's eyes snapped open as she suddenly remembered the last outing she had been on with Jack and Annie while her parents had still been alive, a camping trip. Her uncle William had shown her how to use a stick and its shadow like a compass.

Natalie smiled. Jack and Annie must have used it to keep going in the right direction. She took off, heading in the direction the stick's shadow was pointing.

Soon, Natalie stepped out of the pine forest and paused, glancing down the rocky mountainside.

She saw another stick sticking out of the dirt, but as Natalie glanced at it, something beyond it caught her eye, flames of fire were moving through the valley below. The samurai were back, and they were standing between Natalie and the tree house.

 _It looks like I'll be putting this armor to the test after all._ Natalie thought as she slowly began to move down the rocky mountainside. _I just hope Jack and Annie got past them already_

But just as Natalie thought that, she heard a small and familiar voice right in front of her.

" **The samurai were fierce Japanese fighters. They wore armor made of bamboo and metal and carried two swords to cut down their enemies** "

Natalie slowly looked around. Jack and Annie were hiding behind a giant rock a little ways below her.

Jack was reading from the ninja book while Annie was peeking over the rock at the flames down below.

 _Oh great!_ Natalie groaned. Before Natalie could move, Annie turned back around, and spotted her. Annie's jaw dropped and even in the moonlight, Natalie could see her cousin's face pale. Annie slowly tapped Jack on the shoulder. He looked up, and _his_ face paled.

 _I have to keep the samurai from coming up here_. Natalie thought, and she began slowly striding down the mountain towards her cousin's hiding place. As she walked, she pulled one of the swords from its sheath and held it in both hands so it gleamed in the moonlight.

Natalie stopped when she was almost level with the giant rock. She looked to the right, then to the left.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Jack and Annie press themselves against the rock. Annie's eyes were tightly shut, like she was willing herself to become part of the rock.

Natalie smiled under her mask as she remembered the Ninja Master's words. _Be Nature._ Jack and Annie must be trying to be rocks.

 _Keep doing that you two, I'll take care of these guys_ , Natalie thought as she slowly passed their hiding place and carried on down the mountainside.

Making as little noise as possible, Natalie crept towards the torches. She now saw that they were being carried by a group of about seven people, all of whom were wearing robes with swords strapped to their belts.

Natalie's eyes narrowed as she recognized the filthy samurai leading the group, then widened as she got a good look at the group, most of them were kids! No older than 18 tops, yet they all carried two swords strapped to their belts. _I didn't know samurai could be so young!_ Natalie thought.

"Keep up!" The filthy samurai growled to the students.

"Yes master" One of the children responded.

 _Oh, they must be samurai-in-training!_ Natalie realized.

Natalie took a deep breath, then stepped out of the darkness to where the group could see her.

There was a gasp as one of the kids spotted her and the _snick_ of metal against metal as swords were drawn, but the group relaxed when they got a good look at her.

 _It looks like my armor's working_ , Natalie thought as she strode up to the group. She saw the samurai kid's eyes widen as they looked over her armor. They all bowed their heads in unison. Natalie bowed back.

"Welcome brother!" The filthy samurai smiled at her. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his words were slurred. "Have you come to help us fight the demon?"

 _Demon?_ Natalie raised an eyebrow but decided to play along. Deepening his voice, she said, "Yes!"

"Excellent!" The filthy samurai laughed and spun away. "Come! We must make haste! My sword calls to me!"

Natalie watched as the large man swaggered away. Was it just her imagination or did he look even filthier than before?

Natalie fell into step as the group made their way down the river. As she walked, she saw that apart from the kids, there were two older samurai in the group as well and they both looked annoyed.

"We are wasting our time up here" One of them growled. Like Natalie, this man wore armor, but his was not as intricate as hers and his face was not covered with a metal plate. His face bore a look of utter disgust. "We could be sleeping under a warm roof instead of running around in the dark chasing demons"

 _What 'demon' is he talking about?_ Natalie wondered.

"Agreed. That fool has already proven his stupidity. Why make things worse for the rest of us?" His companion added, glaring at the filthy samurai, but both fell silent when the filthy samurai glanced back at them.

"What do you mean? What has happened to him?" Natalie whispered in a deep voice to the samurai that had spoken first.

"Who knows?" He sneered. "He came running into the hostel we all stayed at screaming that some demon had attacked him and stolen his sword." He snorted. "He probably just lost it somewhere"

 _Oh, so **I'm** the demon_ , Natalie thought with a smile. "But he is a samurai, why would he lie?" She asked.

"He is not a samurai" The second man spoke up, "At least, not a true one, not anymore."

"Yes he is!" One of the kids hissed, glaring at the man. He was short, squat, and muscular. His dark eyes flashed angrily in the torch light.

"What do you mean?" Natalie asked the man.

"A true samurai serves and protects his master with distinction. But that one lost his master, so he became a ronin, a wandering samurai" The first warrior shook his head sadly. "When his master died, so too did his honor"

"Yes, now he is a shadow of his former self. He wanders around drinking, stuffing his face, and boasting of his great skill" The second man said.

"Our master would lose his head before losing his honor!" One of the kids snapped. All of them were glaring at the two samurai.

"If that is true, then why did you agree to come with him?" Natalie whispered to the adult samurai.

The young man looked ashamed. "Because the one thing this man has is money, lots of it. And we are both poor and hungry. He promised to pay and feed us well if we helped him recover his missing sword." He said.

"And why do you all follow him?" Natalie whispered to the kid who had spoken out to defend the filthy samurai's honor.

The young man's chest puffed out with pride. "I follow him because he is my master, and there is much he can teach me"

The two adult samurai chuckled, but Natalie saw the filthy samurai glance back and there was a smile on his face.

Natalie felt her foot come down on a twig, which snapped loudly. The samurai kid next to her jumped and she could see the entire group looked nervous.

Natalie felt the corner of her mouth curl up as an idea came to her. Leaning close, she whispered. "You honor me with your courage, fellow warriors" Natalie saw the kid smile. "Considering the evil forces that you are up against"

The kid's smile faded "What are you talking about?"

Natalie glanced to make sure no one else was listening, and then said "The demon is real. I have seen her"

"You have?" The kid's eyes widened.

Natalie nodded. "Your master described the demon as a girl, right? Wearing strange black clothing and a hood covering her face?"

The young man nodded and Natalie continued. "Well, he was fortunate he never saw the demon's face. I did." Natalie pretended to shudder. Her armor rattled.

"And, what did it look like?" The young man asked. Natalie noticed that both the adult samurai were listening in on their conversation.

 _This is perfect!_ Natalie thought to herself as she pretended to sound disgusted. "It was the ugliest thing ever. Hair the color of blood, and eyes that glowed with yellow fire. She had scaly skin like a lizard and her tongue was forked like a snake."

Natalie tried hard not to laugh at the kid's horrified expression. "And that's not the worst of it" She added. "When I saw the demon, she was not alone; she had an army of ninja with her"

"N-ninjas?" The kid's face paled.

Natalie nodded her head. "I've heard that sometimes this demon uses her ninjas to lure samurai into traps"

The kid blinked. "He told us that he was chasing a ninja when the demon attacked him" He said, glancing fearfully towards his master.

Natalie leaned closer. "I think we may be walking into a trap ourselves. But do not tell the others, I would not want to scare them. Just be ready, the demon, or her ninjas, could attack at any time"

The kid nodded and moved away from Natalie. As he did, Natalie saw the adult samurai whisper to each other. At the same time, she heard whispers from behind her and assumed that the kid she had been speaking to was spreading the word as well.

As she walked, Natalie slowly pulled a shuriken from its hiding place in her gauntlets. When she was certain that none of the samurai were looking, she raised her hand and threw it towards the bushes. The metal star flashed in the moonlight before shooting through the bushes, making leaves rattle as it went by.

"What was that?" Natalie exclaimed in her deep voice, drawing her sword, as if startled.

"What was what?" The filthy samurai groaned from the front of the group. He looked annoyed that they had stopped.

"I heard something, behind us" Natalie said, pretending to look uneasy. "I think we are being followed."

"Impossible!" The filthy samurai laughed. "No one would dare sneak up on a samurai! Come, my sword is…" The samurai suddenly paused, his mouth dropped open. He was staring at something across the river.

Slowly, Natalie turned. Her heart stopped.

The samurai was staring at the treehouse!

"What is _that?"_ One of the samurai spoke. He was also staring at the tree house.

 _Oh no!_ Natalie realized she acted too early. She should have waited until they were past the rocks, now she had just helped the samurai discover the very thing she had been trying to lead them away from!

"There!" The filthy samurai was smiling a wicked smile. "That is where my sword is!" He started walking towards the tree house. "In the demon's lair!"

 _I have to stop him!_ Natalie thought desperately. She faked a laugh. "What? What makes you think your sword is in there?"

"And what makes you think that is where the demon lives?" The young samurai she had spoken with before added.

The filthy man turned to look at them. "Who else would have a house in the trees?" He asked. He started forward again.

Thinking quickly, Natalie dropped to the rear of the group, and slid three more shuriken from their hiding places. Whirling her hand, she let all three of them fly to the bushes behind them.

The bushes rattled as the stars zipped into them. "Wait!" Natalie barked. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I heard it!" Natalie was relieved to hear one of the kids answer.

"So did I," Another one spoke up. "Something is behind us!"

The group froze and stared towards the bushes. Natalie's mind whirred. She had their attention for now, but how much longer could she distract them?

"We know you are there!" One of the adult samurai called towards the trees. "Come out!"

There was no response, no movement.

Suddenly, they heard another sound, coming from _behind_ them. Everyone whirled towards the river. On the other side, not far from the tree house, the bushes were moving.

"AAAHH!" One of the kids suddenly screamed and jumped back. It was the kid that Natalie had whispered to.

"What is it?" The filthy samurai barked.

"I saw her!" He screamed. "I saw the demon!"

"What? You saw her!" Natalie asked, playing along.

"Yes!" The kid pointed towards the bushes. "I saw her glowing yellow eyes, just like you said!"

Natalie peered towards the bushes. To her surprise, she _did_ see a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring back at her. Natalie didn't know who they belonged to, but she was grateful they were there.

"It's the demon!" She shouted, charging to the front of the group, sword raised. As she moved, she pulled a smoke bomb from her belt and, using her body to mask its appearance, lobbed it forwards.

The bomb exploded a few feet in front of her, quickly wrapping Natalie in thick white smoke. Now masked from the view of the others, Natalie pulled another shuriken from its hiding place and tapped it against her sword, making metallic sound.

Natalie then cried out and stumbled backwards out of the fog, stabbing the shuriken into her armor as she did so.

"What is it?" One of the children caught Natalie.

"Look!" Another one gaped, pointing to the shuriken lodged in her armor.

"Ninja throwing stars!" The kid from before cried out. "It must be the demon's ninja servants!" Even the filthy samurai looked nervous now.

"That's it!" One of the adult samurai shouted. "No reward is worth this!" His friend nodded and they both quickly turned tail and fled, running back towards the valley.

"Where are you going?" One of the kids yelled

"Come back you cowards!" Their filthy master yelled, charging after them.

Smiling under her mask, Natalie stealthily rolled another smoke bomb from its hiding place and lobbed it behind her.

The samurai children gasped as the smoke bomb exploded. Natalie pretended to groan with pain while stealthily rolling out another smoke bomb, which exploded on the other side of them.

"Are you alright?" One of the samurai kids knelt over her, but Natalie stiffly climbed to her feet.

"I am fine…LOOK OUT!" Natalie suddenly lunged forward, as if to shield the kid, in reality she had pulled another shuriken from her pocket and stabbed it into her armor. She felt the point of the star rest against her skin and pretended to groan in pain.

"RAAARRRR!" A high-pitched yowl erupted from the bushes on the other side of the river. It sounded like a cat. The leaves rattled wildly and in the center of them the glowing yellow eyes gleamed in the dark.

As the children stared, Natalie stealthily threw another smoke bomb, which burst open in front of them, screening the tree house from view.

"Run!" She said to the kids, "Take your master and run!"

The kids didn't move. "But…what about you?" one of them asked.

Natalie slowly shook her head. "I would only slow you down. But I can at least buy you a few minutes. Now RUN!" Without waiting for a response, she drew held out her sword and charged towards the trees.

"Here I come, demon!" She yelled, as she ran through the smoke. She winced as she stepped into river and felt the icy water soak her clothes _again._

 _This had better be the last time I do this!_ She thought as she quickly waded across and staggered onto the opposite bank. Thinking quickly, she dropped her last three smoke bombs behind her, creating a wall of smoke between her and the river.

"AAAAAGGHHHH!" She cried out, clanging her sword against a shuriken. The metallic noise seemed to ring across the valley.

She stumbled into the bushes, deliberately making as much noise as she could. She cried out once, then twice, then pretended to gag, like she was dying.

"The demon has him!" She heard one of the children scream.

"We need to help him!" Another one shouted.

"No!" The filthy samurai's voice rang through the mist. "I was wrong! We cannot face such a creature ourselves, we need more help!"

 _And now for the coup de grace!_ Natalie glanced around and saw some red berries nearby. She pulled off her helmet and, grabbing some of the berries, mashed them in her hands and coated the inside of her helmet with them.

"AHAHAHAHA!" She let out an evil cackle and lobbed the helmet through the smoke. She heard it fall to the riverbank. "Those who stand in my way must pay!" She crooned in a wicked voice. "You are next!"

"RUN!" The filthy samurai screamed and Natalie could hear the sounds of rapid footsteps.

 _It worked!_ Natalie chuckled as the smoke cleared. She watched the samurai master and his students run back towards the village screaming for help. _With any luck, they won't be back in a hurry!_ Natalie thought as she washed the berry juice off of her helmet in the icy river.

Still laughing, Natalie turned away and found that she wasn't alone. The gray cat with the rounded ears was sitting nearby. It was watching her intently, its eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"Was that you in the bushes?" Natalie asked with a smile.

The cat didn't answer, instead, it turned and quickly padded up the mountainside towards the grove that held the tree house.

Still grinning, Natalie put her helmet back on and followed.

The cat suddenly disappeared just as Natalie reached the grove, and a dark figure stepped out from behind one of the trees.

Natalie gasped.

 _It was the ninja master!_

"You have done well" he said.

 _Squeak!_ Natalie's eyes widened as she saw Peanut, the brown-and-white mouse sitting in the master's hands.

Natalie stared at the mouse. The mouse stared back at Natalie.

"Where are Jack and Annie?" Natalie finally broke the silence.

"They will be here soon" The ninja master said. He appeared to be smiling. "That was a clever trick you played on the samurai"

"The armor worked, just like you said." Natalie reached for the strap of the helmet. "They never suspected who I was. I guess you want it back"

The master held out a hand. "Keep it"

"Seriously?" Natalie gasped

The master nodded "The ninja and the samurai are not so different. Both are guardians, but one acts from the shadows, while the other acts in the open. Sometimes you need the skills of both to complete a mission. You have proven that this night, and have earned the right to wear it"

 _Squeak!_ The mouse squeaked loudly, as if agreeing with the master.

"Thank you" Natalie's eyes brimmed with tears. Truthfully, while this had been a fun mission, she had been scared too.

The master suddenly tensed, and his gaze turned to look up river. "They are coming." He said, turning back to Natalie "Into the shadows, quick!" With that, he leapt straight up and disappeared.

As Natalie shrank back into the shadows of the grove, she heard familiar voices approaching.

Jack appeared, pulling Annie along by her hand.

Annie was puling against him. "We can't leave Peanut" She whined.

"We have to" said Jack. He suddenly tensed and both of them turned to look down the mountainside.

Natalie could hear more voices in the distance. She could see the flash of fire in the valley below.

 _Not again!_ Natalie groaned silently.

"Come on" Jack pushed Annie towards the tree house.

"Oh Jack!" Annie said sadly. Natalie wished she could comfort Annie, but she kept still and kept silent.

"Go! Go!" Jack urged.

Annie started to climb. Natalie could swear she saw the moon flash off something shiny on her cousin's face.

Jack started climbing too. He also looked sad.

 _Squeak!_

"Oh wow!" Annie cried from inside the tree house. "Peanut's inside!"

Natalie chuckled at the surprised look on Jack's face as her cousin climbed faster. He disappeared into the tree house.

Natalie turned her attention to the voices that were growing louder. She could now see the torches. The samurai were coming back, and there were more of them this time!

"I didn't think they'd be back so fast!" Natalie growled as she watched the large crowd of samurai come around the corner. They were still on the opposite side of the river, but if they saw the tree house and came to investigate it….!

As silent as she could, Natalie drew one of her swords from its sheath, there was no way she was going to let that happen.

Natalie tensed as the flames grew closer and closer. The samurai stopped, exactly opposite the riverbank from where she was. Natalie squinted through the darkness. She didn't recognize any of the samurai in this group, but there were a lot of them and they were all heavily armored.

"Spread out!" One of them barked. "The master we found said that a fellow samurai had been struck down. Find who did it and bring him to me!"

 _Oh great! Now what?_ Natalie could see the samurai began going in different directions. Luckily, they were all looking down, but even if one of them happened to glance up, it was over.

 _Or is it?_ Natalie had an idea. It was risky, and it would involve using the last shuriken she had been given. Natalie had been hoping to save this one.

Natalie crept away from the grove and darted behind another tree that grew by its lonesome not too far away. Crouching behind it, she pulled the shuriken out of her gauntlet, kissed it for luck, and let it fly.

The spinning disk zipped through the air, soared across the river, and thudded into some bushes upriver from where the samurai were searching. The bushes rattled and there was a metallic _ding!_

One of the samurai looked up towards the noise. "Over there!" He shouted. "I heard something!" He rushed off, with the other samurai on his tail.

They disappeared into the trees.

 _Have fun!_ Natalie grinned as she watched the flames fade away into the night.

The wind suddenly started to blow. Natalie looked up.

The white flowers on the trees began to shake. Clouds covered the moon overhead.

Natalie felt a familiar tingling spread all across her body.

"Uh oh, time to go!" Natalie charged back towards the grove. Just as she reached the tree, she saw a dark shape swinging down the rope ladder.

The ninja master landed in front of her.

"Wait!" Natalie looked up, and locked eyes with Jack. She saw her cousin's eyes widen in surprise. He opened his mouth to say something.

But the wind picked up, and Natalie could barely see her cousin anymore, much less hear him.

She saw the tree house begin to spin.

"Remember, a true warrior does not need a sword!" The master's voice rang out from the darkness.

Natalie looked around for the master, but the lack of moonlight and the deep shadows made him invisible.

Goodbye my friend!" The ninja master's voice rose over the howling wind "And good luck! "

"Thank you _!_ " Natalie cried back. "For everything!"

Natalie felt her feet leave the ground and her body began to spin. She spun like a top, faster and faster.

Natalie shut her eyes tight as she heard the wind howling in her ears.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie felt her feet touch the ground once again and instantly lost her balance, falling forwards onto her knees.

"Welcome back" Natalie opened her eyes to see Merlin standing over her. She was back in the secret study.

Natalie glanced down at her sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers, and sighed. She already missed her ninja gear and samurai armor.

"So, was your mission a success?" Merlin asked, sitting back down in his chair.

"Oh yes. It was awesome!" Natalie exclaimed. "I found the ninja master, and he actually turned me into a real ninja!"

"Oh really?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. He motioned for her to continue.

After Natalie had finished explaining what had happened, Merlin nodded. He looked satisfied. "I am glad to see that my friend's family is thriving." He said. "I know he cares greatly for those that fight alongside him."

"Why didn't you tell me your friend was the ninja master?" Natalie asked.

"As I told you, that era of Japan was one of civil war." Merlin explained. "I was trying to keep him and his family safe. Besides, it wouldn't have been as fun for you if I had" He added with a smile.

"What?" Natalie opened her mouth to argue, then paused as she realized that Merlin was right. She _had_ enjoyed being an actual ninja, and she had also enjoyed helping the ninja clan, guiding Jack and Annie, and in tricking the samurai, not once, but twice.

"Anyway, it appears that you were successful in your mission" Merlin said, raising his staff. "Now let us see if your cousins were just as successful"

A glowing M appeared in the air over them, shimmered, and then settled, showing Jack and Annie standing at the window of the tree house, looking out.

" _Com-ing!"_ Annie shouted out the window.

Natalie saw Jack sit back on his heels. He was holding something shiny in his hands.

"What is that?" Natalie asked as she gaped at the shiny clear stone in Jack's hand.

Merlin squinted up at the picture. "A moonstone, I believe" he said.

" _I guess we have one of the four things"_ Jack said

" _We'll look for the other three tomorrow"_ said Annie

"I guess it looks like I won't have to wait long for my next mission" Natalie said.

"No, it would appear not" Merlin added, but Natalie saw a strange smile appear on the magician's lips.

" _Ready?"_ Jack asked above.

" _Wait"_ Natalie glanced up to see Annie disappear from the image, only to reappear seconds later holding one of her pink socks in her hand.

" _What are you doing?"_ Jack asked. Natalie wondered the same thing.

" _I'm making a bed! You know, one for Peanut to sleep in"_ Annie answered.

Natalie giggled as she saw Annie pick up the brown-and-white mouse and carefully tuck it inside her sock.

" _Night Peanut"_ Annie said softly.

 _Squeak!_ The mouse squeaked in reply.

" _Oh brother"_ Natalie heard Jack mutter and she giggled again. She saw Merlin smiling as he watched the show.

" _Kiss her goodnight, Jack"_ Annie held the pink sock up to her brother's face.

" _Don't be silly"_ Jack said, backing out of the image. " _Come on, let's go"_

" _Thanks for helping us Peanut"_ Annie said, placing the pink sock on the M. She then placed the message from Morgan next to the sock.

"Merlin? Who _is_ Peanut?" Natalie asked, turning to the magician. "What's her real name?"

Merlin's smile widened. "Ah, that, my dear, is a question perhaps best answered at another time"

Natalie groaned. "In other words, you don't want to tell me right now, do you?"

Merlin shook his head. "You do not need to know who this person is right now. All you need to know is that by doing this you are doing her a great service and Morgan and I both thank you for it.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Natalie gasped. "I felt Morgan's presence in old Japan! It was only once, and only for a little bit, but I sensed she was watching me."

Merlin's eyes twinkled. "That does not surprise me. I suspect that Morgan will be watching Jack and Annie's progress _very_ closely."

"But what if she finds out that I'm there too?" Natalie asked.

"Let me worry about that" Merlin said. "Just focus on protecting your cousins. That is what matters most"

" _See you tomorrow"_ Natalie looked up to see Jack staring at her through the M.

Natalie knew that Jack couldn't see her, but for a moment, as she stared into his eyes, she felt like he could.

Jack glanced away, then leaned down and kissed the mouse's tiny head.

" _Night-night Peanut"_ he whispered.

"Aww!" Natalie cooed and then she giggled.

Jack's face disappeared from the image. Merlin waved his staff and the M vanished.

"Merlin, are you familiar with the animals that live in Japan?" Natalie asked.

Merlin looked confused by the question. "I know some of them, why?"

"Well, during this mission, I got a lot of help from a strange kind of cat. It had strange rounded ears and gray spotted fur. I think you saw it when we first arrived, remember?"

Merlin looked thoughtful than nodded. "I do remember. It sounds like an Iriomote cat, but that cannot be possible."

"Why?"

"Because if I remember correctly, that cat lives only in a particular area of southern Japan, and we were nowhere near that area" said Merlin.

Natalie was confused. "But then where did that cat come from?"

Merlin smiled. "Can you think of no way?"

Natalie frowned, then her eyes widened as an idea came to her, and she smiled.

"You could have told me" She said, her hands on her hips.

"You do not need to know everything, my dear" Merlin said simply. "Sometimes the more one knows, the more burdened one becomes"

"I guess that makes sense" Natalie admitted.

"It's getting late, Natalie" Merlin said. "You should go home now."

Natalie smiled and nodded at Merlin. "See you next time"

"See you next time" Merlin said as Natalie crossed the room and stepped through the hidden door.

Outside, under the trees it was almost pitch black.

 _Wow, a ninja would feel right at home here!_ Natalie chuckled. Using a trick that her father had taught her, Natalie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths while she counted silently to ten in her head.

When she opened her eyes again, she could see a little better, and she took off through the cool, dark woods.

As she ran, Natalie found herself darting from tree to tree, moving silently and swiftly, like a shadow warrior.

 _It was really fun being a ninja_ , Natalie thought to herself as she left the woods and dashed down the street. _But I'd rather live here than in Japan. For one thing, it's warmer here!_

Natalie reached her house and sprinted across the lawn. Next door, she could hear Henry, the big black dog next door, barking at something.

"Have either of you seen Natalie?" Natalie heard her Aunt Mary ask as she climbed up to the porch.

"Isn't she here?" Jack asked.

"No, we haven't seen Natalie all evening. We thought she may have gone to meet up with you after her fitness class was finished"

As Natalie entered the house, she saw Annie shake her head. "No mom, we haven't seen Natalie"

Grinning, Natalie called out "Someone say my name?"

Jack and Annie jumped and spun around. "Natalie!" Annie cried out.

Her Aunt Mary peeked out of the kitchen. "There you are! Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry Aunt Mary, but I was chasing after the strangest cat" said Natalie.

Jack's eyes widened "A cat?"

"Oh yeah, it was gray, with round ears and yellow eyes, and I'm pretty sure it had spots"

"Spots?" Aunt Mary raised an eyebrow.

Uncle Michael looked up from setting the table. "That doesn't sound like any kind of cat I've ever seen. Where is it now?"

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, it ran into the woods and I lost sight of it". Natalie bit her lip as she saw Jack and Annie exchange a look. No doubt they were thinking of Peanut the mouse.

"Dinner's almost ready" Aunt Mary called from the kitchen.

"I'm gonna change real quick!" Natalie called as she darted upstairs. Thankfully, no one had noticed that Natalie's clothes were still wet from the river.

Upstairs, Natalie darted into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She flung her purse on her bed.

 _Clink!_ The purse made a metallic noise.

Puzzled, Natalie pulled her purse towards her. She didn't think she owned anything that made that kind of noise.

Natalie unzipped her purse. She gasped.

Nestled inside her purse were six shuriken!

"Where did these come from?" Natalie gasped, pulling them out carefully. Natalie thought she had used all her shuriken when she had tricked the samurai.

A flash of white caught her eye and Natalie looked back. There was a small scroll in her purse.

With trembling hands, Natalie pulled out the scroll and unrolled it.

On the paper was a beautiful picture of what appeared to be a raven, and clutched in the raven's claws was a silver ring with a blue stone.

There was a fancy red seal stamped into the bottom of the paper. Natalie's eyes widened as she recognized one of the images in the seal. It was the same symbol that was on the necklace the ninja master had worn!

Written above the fancy seal were three lines of Japanese characters, but Natalie couldn't read it. She noticed a small arrow on the bottom and turned the paper over.

Her jaw dropped.

Scrawled across the back of the scroll was a translation of the characters, written in fancy handwriting;

 _ **You have proven yourself worthy, as both a student of Master Merlin, and as a member of the Raven Ninja Clan**_

Natalie felt her mouth curl up in a smile as she read the words again.

"Sweet!" She squealed happily.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Whew! I was starting to think that I'd never get this arc started. I had actually finished this story a few weeks ago, but my summer classes took up so much of my time that I was unable to post anything until now!**

 **And so we enter ARC 2 (or the Magic Spell Arc) as I'm calling this.**

 **One concept that I wanted to highlight in this story is the fact that, though Ninja and Samurai are often portrayed as opposites, that their missions are, in fact, quite similar, to protect and to serve. In the samurai's case, it is their master, in the ninja's case, it is usually their family or colleagues.**

 **I also wanted to highlight the Ronin _,_ or the 'wandering samurai', which is a samurai that has lost his master. According to history, some of these samurai actually became thugs, meaning that it's just as possible for samurai to be seen as bad as a ninja is often portrayed to be. It just goes to show how bad it can be to judge based solely on labels. Samurai are not always good (a fact we may see later on), and ninja are not always bad. **

**I also wanted Natalie to become a ninja because, as the master says, she technically already acts like one. She works in secrecy, has to deceive her cousins (though this is for her own safety), and she is willing to fight to protect Jack and Annie. Does that sound like a ninja to you?**

 **The other stories of this arc are complete or nearly so. Stay tuned for the next upload!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	6. Afternoon on the Amazon

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

Afternoon on the Amazon

Natalie narrowed her eyes, keeping the rest of her body tense as she gazed at her target.

 _Focus, focus!_ She repeated in her mind as she slowly opened her hand, palm facing away from her adversary. She felt a small weight hit her fingers.

 _Wait for it…_ Natalie tensed, hardly daring to breathe.

 _Now!_ Natalie suddenly whirled, sweeping her hand in an arc.

With a _whrrrr_ , the small metal object left her fingers, zipped through the air and thudded into the dead tree trunk that was standing ten feet away from her.

"Yes! Finally!" Natalie pumped her fists into the air as she gazed at the shuriken sticking out of the center of the white circle painted on the tree trunk.

Around Natalie, the Frog Creek woods seemed to celebrate along with her. Birds twittered and squirrels chattered from above her. A cool breeze rushed through the trees, blowing across Natalie's sweaty arms, making Natalie sigh happily.

Natalie had been practicing throwing shuriken all afternoon. The little throwing stars were now among her most prized possessions. They weren't sharp enough to use as effective weapons, like the shuriken she had seen in ninja books and movies, but they could be used to distract someone.

Natalie grinned as she remembered how she had used them for that very purpose in old Japan, to distract an army of samurai that had been searching for her. The fact that they could be used so creatively made Natalie love them even more.

"Oh, these will definitely come in handy one day" She said, striding over to the tree. "I have to make sure to bring these with me the next time Merlin calls me"

Natalie was just pulling the little star out of the tree trunk, when she suddenly felt a tingling sensation on her hand. She glanced down to see that the magic ring she had gotten from Merlin was glowing.

 _Speak of the Devil_ _!_ Natalie thought happily as she held the ring up to her mouth. "Merlin, is that you?" She asked.

" _Yes Natalie"_ the magician's voice seeped out of the blue stone on her ring. " _Please come to the Tree House, your cousins are already here"_

 _Already?_ Natalie started. "I'm on my way!" She took off across the clearing where she had been training and plunged into the woods. She dodged around tree trunks and pushed through the underbrush.

Eventually, she came to a clearing and paused, peaking out from behind a large tree. At the opposite end of the clearing was a tall oak tree.

The magic tree house lay shining in the afternoon sun on the topmost branches.

A young girl and boy were climbing up the long rope ladder that hung from underneath the tree house.

"We're coming Peanut!" The girl called.

Natalie chuckled as she watched her younger cousins climb. _I knew they'd come back this afternoon!_ She said to herself. That was why Natalie had chosen to practice with her shuriken in Frog Creek woods, partially because of the privacy, and partially because she wanted to be close by when her cousins came back to the tree house.

Natalie watched Jack and Annie climb into the tree house then she quickly and quietly crossed the clearing.

Placing her hand upon the trunk of the oak tree, she said softly; "I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start"

Her ring seemed to glow in the late-afternoon light. A long crack appeared in the bark and Natalie pulled open the portal in the tree trunk. She ducked inside, the portal closing silently behind her.

"Merlin, I'm here!" She called as she stepped out of the entrance alcove into Merlin's secret study.

Natalie spotted the enchanter right away. He was standing near one of the bookshelves that lined the walls of the room, he was looking up towards the ceiling, but glanced down when he heard Natalie's voice.

"You move quickly, Natalie" Merlin smiled.

"I wasn't very far away" Natalie smiled back, briefly explaining what she had been doing.

"Planning ahead, a wise strategy." Merlin nodded.

Natalie felt her cheeks flush and hoped it wasn't visible Getting complimented by Merlin felt good.

"So, what's happening in the tree house?" She asked.

"See for yourself" Merlin pointed up.

Natalie looked up, and burst out laughing.

Floating above Merlin was a large letter M, which connected to the M carving on the tree house floor that let Merlin see and hear what was happening in the tree house.

Moving back and forth on the M was a pink sock.

Natalie heard Annie laughing as she picked up the pink sock.

 _Squeak!_

Jack laughed. _"Hi Peanut"_ he said.

Natalie could just see the tiny head of a white-and-brown mouse peek out from the sock.

Natalie's smile faded slightly as she remembered that 'Peanut' wasn't really a mouse at all. She was a person who had fallen victim to a magic spell and was now trapped in the form of a mouse. To free her, Jack and Annie needed to find four special things in four separate places. Last night, Natalie had followed Jack and Annie to Old Japan in search of the first item.

" _Will you help us again today?"_ Annie asked, it looked like she was petting the mouse's head.

"Hey, I helped you too!" Natalie called up, her smile reappearing. In Japan, Natalie had dressed up, first as a ninja, then as a samurai so she could help Jack and Annie with their mission of collecting the first item, a moonstone, which was now sitting on the Tree House floor.

"Yes, but they do not know this, remember?" Merlin reminded her, he was also smiling. "Though there are others who are just as grateful for your help"

Natalie laughed as she recalled how she had saved a real ninja's life and had been made an honorary member of her clan because of it. She had been rewarded with the shuriken from the ninja master of that clan, who was actually a friend of Merlin.

" _We have to find three more things for Morgan"_ Annie said, looking down. Though she appeared to be looking right at Natalie, Natalie knew she was really looking at the moonstone that lay on the M.

" _Well, first we have to find a clue to tell us where to begin"_ Jack said and he moved out of viewing range.

Annie's gaze lifted and Natalie saw her scan the tree house. Annie suddenly smiled _"Guess what?"_ she said.

" _What?"_ said Jack.

" _We don't have to look very far"_ Annie pointed towards a corner of the tree house.

" _Wow!"_ Jack exclaimed and Natalie could hear him moving on the wooden floor. " _The ninja book was open yesterday. Now this one is. Who opened them?"_

"Hmm, I wonder" Natalie glanced at Merlin with a knowing smile. The wizard didn't reply, but Natalie could see a twinkle in his eyes.

Jack reappeared in the image, holding a green-and-white book.

Natalie squinted as she tried to read the cover. She could just make out the words _THE RAINFOREST._

"The rainforest?" Natalie's eyes widened. "No way!"

Jack quickly turned the book over so he and Annie could see the cover.

" _Oh wow"_ said Jack.

" _Oh no"_ said Annie.

" _What's wrong?"_ Jack asked, looking at his sister.

Annie looked uneasy. _"I learned about the Rainforest in school"_ She said, _"It's supposed to be full of big bugs and spiders"_

" _I know"_ Jack sounded excited. _"Half of them haven't even been named yet"_

" _It's creepy_ " said Annie.

" _It's neat"_ said Jack.

" _Neat? Yuck!"_ Annie shivered, looking at the floor.

"Is there a problem?" Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Annie doesn't like insect or spiders" Natalie explained. "She's afraid of them."

"I see" Merlin nodded. Though his expression didn't change, he appeared to understand.

" _I don't get it"_ Jack's voice made them look back up. " _You weren't afraid of dinosaurs."_

" _So?"_ Annie glanced up at Jack.

" _You weren't afraid of the castle guards or the mummy's ghost"_

" _Yeah, so?"_

" _You weren't afraid of pirates or ninjas?"_

"No, but _you_ were, Jack!" Natalie called up, knowing full well that they couldn't hear her.

"Shhh!" Merlin shushed her, but he was smiling as well.

" _So?"_ Annie kept saying.

Jack scratched his head in the picture _"So, you're not afraid of really scary things, but you're afraid of little bugs and spiders, that doesn't make sense."_

" _So?"_ Annie shrugged her shoulders. " _I just don't like bugs. They're ugly and they crawl everywhere, urgh!"_ Natalie saw Annie shudder.

"It's weird seeing Annie act like this" Natalie said, "Normally Jack's the hesitant one"

"Fear can be a powerful force. It can cause people to act in ways they usually would not" Merlin said, and he smiled in a mysterious way.

"Mm-hmm" Natalie nodded, staring back up at the M. She knew exactly what Merlin was talking about. Back in Chicago, Natalie would never have dreamed she'd willingly be going on such dangerous adventures, but fear of her cousin's safety kept her coming back to Merlin and to the Tree House.

Jack sighed. _"Listen, we have to go there, to help Morgan. That's why this book was left open."_

" _I know that!"_ said Annie, she sounded annoyed.

" _Plus, the Rain Forests are being cut down"_ Jack continued. " _Don't you want to see one before it's too late?"_

"Merlin, have you ever been to the rainforest?" Natalie turned to the magician.

"Only twice" Merlin said, but his smile faded. "I must confess I did not particularly enjoy either trip"

"Really? What happened?" Natalie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I believe that story will have to wait. It appears your cousins are about to leave" Merlin said, raising his staff. In the image above, Jack and Annie suddenly stopped moving.

"Okay, I'll wait. But I would like to hear that story at some time" Natalie said.

"I'm certain that can be arranged" Merlin's blue eyes twinkled as he turned to face Natalie "Are you ready?"

Natalie took a deep breath. She nodded. "Ready"

Merlin chanted words that were too quiet for Natalie to hear and pointed his staff in her direction. A cloud of brown mist poured out of the staff's metal tip and swarmed around Natalie. She shut her eyes as she felt her feet leave the ground, there was rush of wind in her ears and bright flash of light.

Suddenly it died down. Natalie felt all four of her limbs touch the floor. She felt an itching sensation on her back. She opened her eyes and looked down at herself.

She still had hands, but they were smaller and her fingers were longer. Her arms were longer too, and covered with brown fur. Her legs were furry too, and her feet now resembled hands.

Her back itched again and something whipped around into her vision; it looked like a tail.

As Natalie studied the tail, the air in front of her suddenly seemed to swirl around in a circle, forming what looked like a mirror.

Natalie blinked. Staring back at her from the mirror was a small brown-furred monkey.

"Yes, this should do nicely" Merlin said as the mirror in front of Natalie faded away

Natalie glanced up at Merlin, who now towered over her " _Merlin, you made a monkey out of me!"_ She joked.

Merlin smiled. "Yes, it appears that I have." He said.

Natalie laughed, her new monkey voice echoing throughout the room as Merlin raised his staff.

" _I wish we could go there"_ Jack's voice made Natalie look up. She could hear the wind begin to blow in the tree house.

 _Squeak!_ Peanut sounded excited.

" _Shh, stay in here Peanut_ " Through the M, Natalie saw Annie pick up the mouse and place it in her shirt pocket.

"Natalie, a word of warning" Natalie looked at Merlin. The magician's face was serious. "In the rainforest, things are not as they seem. Remember that"

Natalie wasn't quite sure what Merlin meant, but she nodded.

"Good luck!" Merlin said as he and the study both vanished. Natalie felt herself leave the floor again as bright streaks of light filled her vision. Wind whistled in her ears as she felt her body begin to spin.

Natalie shut her eyes and curled into a ball. She spun faster and faster, the sound of the wind swelled to a roar.

Suddenly, everything was calm.

Completely calm.

But only for a second.

 _Caawwwwww!_

 _Bzzzzzzzzzzz!_

 _Screeeeeeeech!_

Wild noises made Natalie open her eyes, just in time to see a large tree branch come flying up out of nowhere!

" _Ow!_ " Natalie screeched with pain as she thudded into the branch.

 _Note to self: Next time you travel with the tree house, keep your eyes open_! Natalie said to herself as she grasped the branch with all five of her monkey limbs.

The air was warm and moist; Natalie could feel water settling on her new fur.

Natalie looked around, everything was dark and green. Large leaves pressed close together on all sides, like a thick green blanket.

 _Huh, where's the tree house?_ Natalie wondered. She normally landed right next to it, but now the magic tree house was nowhere in sight.

 _It's gotta be around here somewhere._ Natalie started moving along the branch. As she reached out to push a large leaf out of the way the leaf suddenly cried out and moved.

" _Yikes!"_ Natalie screeched and jumped back as the leaf spread a pair of wings and lifted off the branch.

Natalie stared in awe as the bright green bird flew away through the leaves. _Merlin was right!_ _Things in the rainforest aren't what they seem! I had no idea that bird was there!_ Natalie knew she would have to be more careful.

The green bird flew up through the leaves and disappeared. A bright beam of sunlight shone through the opening in the leaves through which the bird had vanished.

 _Hmm, maybe if I get higher up, I'll be able to get some idea of where the tree house is_ , Natalie thought, she began climbing up the branches towards the opening.

As she climbed, she found that she was quickly getting used to her monkey body. Her new feet could grip just as well as her hands could and her new tail could wrap around things and hold them. It was like she had five hands. This made moving through the branches really easy.

Natalie poked her head through the opening in the leaves and looked around, squinting in the bright sunlight. The air around her was much warmer up here and super humid. A sea of shiny green leaves stretched out as far as she could see. Colorful butterflies fluttered around bright flowers that stuck out between the leaves.

Natalie saw the green bird from before flying away from her, and saw several other birds of various sizes fluttering about.

 _Wow!_ Natalie felt her eyes widen. _If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a field, not a forest!_

"Wait!" A voice cried out from behind her. She looked around.

 _Ah ha!_ She thought triumphantly. The treehouse was sitting about twenty feet away from her.

Annie suddenly appeared at the window. "Oh, come on Jack!" She said, "We don't even need the ladder, we can just climb out the window" Her cousin stuck one let through the window.

Natalie gasped. _"What are you doing?"_ She screeched in alarm.

"Get back in here!" Jack cried out from inside the tree house. "We're in the forest canopy, probably 150 feet above the ground!"

"Yikes!" Annie quickly scrambled back into the tree house.

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. _That was close!_

Knowing now that her cousins would have to use the ladder, Natalie ducked back down into the leaves. She started clambering her way over the branches in the direction of the tree house.

The leaves were pressed so close together that it made progress difficult, so Natalie decided to clamber down a few feet to the understory below the canopy, where she hoped there would be more room to maneuver.

The first thing Natalie noticed was that it was cooler down here, and darker. It was also quieter. Natalie could feel the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. She didn't like this place. She felt like she was being watched. As she moved, Natalie kept glancing around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Natalie was so distracted that she didn't see the rope ladder until she almost bumped into it.

Clinging to a branch, Natalie's eyes followed the ladder down through the branches of the giant tree, to the forest floor. It was very far away, and the shadows cast by the trees made the ground so dark she could barely see it.

 _Wow, it's like another world down here!_ Natalie thought.

Leaves rustled from above, Natalie looked up.

Jack was on the rope ladder, pushing foliage out of the way as he slowly clambered down.

Natalie retreated a few feet and watched as he came level with her. He paused and glanced down.

"Oh man" His eyes widened. Natalie could see the fear in his eyes. Jack didn't seem to like this place either.

Natalie nodded her head. _I know how you feel, Jack!_

"What's wrong?" Annie's voice rang out from above.

Jack didn't answer, he didn't move. Natalie wondered if he had even heard Annie. She considered calling out to him, but decided against it.

"You don't see any giant spiders, do you?" Annie asked. Natalie could hear concern in her cousin's voice.

 _Seriously?_ Natalie tilted her head. She didn't think spiders were _that_ scary. True, they weren't the prettiest things to look at, and Natalie knew a lot of girls who were freaked out by them, but she wasn't.

Jack took a deep breath, he looked up.

"No spiders, nothing scary" He called up to his sister. He started down the ladder again, Annie appeared on the ladder a few minutes later.

Natalie kept pace with her cousins as they climbed down through the understory, moving from branch to branch. At one point, she was close enough to Annie that she could have reached out and touched the girl's cheek, but she decided not to. Annie already looked nervous and Natalie didn't want to startle her.

Finally, Jack and Annie hopped off the ladder onto the forest floor. Natalie clung to a branch above them and looked around.

Down here, the trees were very big and very wide. They reminded Natalie of columns, holding up a green leafy ceiling. Only a few rays of sunlight pierced this 'ceiling', slicing through the gloom around them.

Despite the low light, Natalie could see perfectly. She could see moss and vines hanging everywhere, from branches, from tree trunks, even from shrubbery. The forest floor was covered in a thick carpet of dead leaves. The foliage came up to Jack and Annie's ankles.

Natalie felt a shudder pass through her as she stared at the thick carpet of leaves. She had one read a story about a monstrous creature that hid in leaf litter and lunged out to surprise passers-by. _I hope that there isn't anything like that here!_ She prayed.

Jack and Annie were also looking around.

"Well, where should we start?" Annie finally broke the silence.

"Before we do anything, I'd better check the book" Jack said, pulling the rainforest book out of his backpack.

 _Good idea,_ Natalie thought.

Jack opened the book and flipped through the pages, eventually settling on one with a picture.

The branch Natalie was perched on was close enough that she could read the page over Jack's shoulder.

The page read:

 **In the rainforest, many living creatures blend into their surroundings, this is called camouflage. Animals that eat other animals, called predators, use camouflage to help catch their food. Animals that are eaten by other animals, called prey, use camouflage to hide from animals that would eat them.**

"Oh man!" Jack closed the book. "There's tons of creatures down here, all around us! We just can't see them!"

Annie's eyes widened. "Really?" she whispered. Both siblings glanced around fearfully.

 _No wonder if feels like we're being watched!_ Natalie thought. She remembered the green bird from earlier and looked around again, more carefully.

She squinted at a nearby tree, and suddenly saw a pair of black eyes staring back at her. She looked down at the carpet of dead leaves on the forest floor and saw what looked like a tail slithering out of sight. A flicker of movement made Natalie look up at the tree she was sitting in and she thought she saw something dart behind another branch.

Natalie shivered and she felt her tail twitch with unease. She moved a little closer to Jack and Annie.

"Let's hurry and find the special thing" Annie whispered.

"But how will we know when we've found it?" Jack replied, also in a low voice.

"I think we'll just know" Annie said. She started walking away from the tree, into the gloom.

Jack sighed, but followed her. Natalie followed after Jack, climbing and leaping from tree branch or trunk to branch or trunk. She clambered across tangles of branches and shimmied along long hanging vines.

"Hey!" Up ahead, Annie suddenly stopped. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Jack asked as he caught up.

Natalie froze on her branch. Had Annie heard her following them? She had tried to move as quietly as possible.

"Listen" Annie motioned for her brother to be quiet. "That weird noise"

Natalie listened. She _did_ hear something, a crackling sound. It sounded kind of like something big was walking on the crunchy leaves.

Natalie's eyes narrowed. Her father had once told her that many tribes of people called the rainforest home. Was another person making that noise?

The noise got louder. Natalie looked around, but she didn't see any people. Down below, her cousins were glancing around too.

Suddenly, the jungle around them came to life. Birds flapped into the air, twittering and cawing loudly. Lizards raced up tree trunks. Natalie saw frogs and other creatures hopping or dashing over the leaves.

" _What's going on?"_ Natalie screeched as another monkey raced by her. The monkey didn't stop, though Natalie saw it did glance fearfully backwards in the direction of the noise.

The noise became louder and louder. Natalie saw that her cousins were looking just as confused as she was.

"Maybe the book can help explain it" Jack said, opening the book. He flipped through the pages, eventually settling on one.

Jack's face suddenly went pale. He quickly closed the book. "It's army ants!" He cried.

"Army Ants?" Annie repeated

 _Army Ants?_ A chill went through Natalie. That didn't sound good!

"The book says that noise is being made by millions of flesh-eating army ants marching through the leaves!" Jack said.

Now Annie's face was pale. "Where are they?"

Jack and Annie looked around wildly. Natalie did the same.

Annie suddenly gasped _"There!"_ she cried, pointing.

Natalie looked, and felt her monkey jaw drop open. Ants, millions and millions of them, were moving across the leaves in their direction. Even from this distance, Natalie could see that they were huge.

Natalie cried out as she saw a large insect that looked like a grasshopper leap away from the ants, but it wasn't quick enough. The ants swarmed over the bigger insect, pinning it to the ground. The insect tried to escape, but the ants covered it like a carpet.

"Run to the tree house!" cried Annie

"Where is it?" Jack asked, looking around wildly.

Natalie looked around too. To her surprise, she couldn't see the ladder. Every tree looked the same. _Oh great!_ She thought, _that's all we need right now!_

" _Ow!"_ Natalie suddenly felt something pull her tail. Screeching, she spun around to see another monkey looking at her, yanking on her tail.

The monkey pulled again. _"OW! What are you doing?"_ Natalie screeched, pulling her tail out of the monkey's grasp.

" _Not safe here! Come!"_ The monkey screeched back.

"Just run!" Looking down, Natalie saw Jack and Annie take off, running away from the advancing ants.

" _COME!_ " The monkey screeched again, leaping away through the trees. Natalie looked down. The mass of ants was nearly under her.

" _Coming!"_ Natalie screeched, leaping away from the advancing ant army.

Natalie moved quickly through the branches as she followed the other monkey. Fortunately, he was going in the same direction as Jack and Annie.

The monkey climbed and swung through the trees, moving gracefully and without hesitation.

Natalie followed, trying her best to keep up. The monkey glanced back, as if to make sure Natalie was still following, then began climbing higher into the trees.

"That way!" Natalie looked down to see Jack and Annie veer off in another direction.

 _Where are they going?_ Natalie wondered. She looked towards the other monkey, but he had disappeared from view.

Natalie started moving in the direction that she had seen Jack and Annie going. Hopefully she could pick up their trail again.

She could still hear the crunching of leaves in the distance and shuddered as she remembered the army ants attacking that poor insect. She wondered if the ants could climb trees.

Suddenly, she saw bright sunlight ahead of her and moved towards it.

Pushing through the branches, Natalie found herself in a clearing near the bank of a river.

Natalie panted as she stared at the brown water flowing past her. _Now what?_ Natalie glanced up the river, but didn't see anything that looked like Jack and Annie.

She turned to look down the river then paused as she saw something below her, an impression in the riverbank.

Something had been lying next to the water recently, and there were footprints around it, human-looking footprints.

Her heart thumping, Natalie looked downriver. She saw something floating down the river a short distance away.

It looked like a canoe, and there were people on it, two very familiar-looking people.

" _Aha!"_ Natalie screeched happily as she recognized Jack's backpack. _"There they are!"_

Natalie quickly scrambled after the canoe.

Fortunately, the water was moving very slowly, so she was quickly able to catch up.

She saw that Jack was reading something in the Amazon book at the back of the canoe while Annie was gazing in the water at the front.

Jack suddenly gasped and looked up at Annie. "We're on the Amazon river" He said. "It's over four thousand miles long"

"Wow" Annie's eyes widened. She gazed back down at the river.

 _Oh man! I hope we don't have to go_ _ **all**_ _the way down it!_ Natalie panted as she leapt from tree to tree, keeping pace with the canoe. Every moment they spent on the river was taking them further and further away from the tree house.

"Hey Jack" Annie said, she was trailing her fingers in the water. "Look at these pretty fish with the teeth"

"What?" Jack looked up.

Natalie froze on her branch, she felt a chill go through her. _Fish with teeth?_ She thought. _That sounds like…_

"Watch it!" Jack's voice cut through Natalie's thoughts. "Those pretty fish are piranhas! They'll eat anything, including people!"

"Yikes!" Annie quickly pulled her hand out of the water.

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. She was beginning to see why Merlin had not liked coming here. They'd only been here for a short while and they'd already encountered two creatures that were capable of eating people.

 _At least I think they can_ , Natalie made a mental note to do some more research on animals of the Amazon when she got home.

"We need to get back to shore" Jack's voice drifted over to Natalie

"But how?" asked Annie. "We can't go into the water now, and we don't have any paddles."

"We need a plan" Jack said and Natalie saw him look around.

Natalie glanced ahead and saw some branches hanging low over the water, long green vines draped from them like ropes.

The canoe was about to pass underneath them.

 _Maybe those vines would work!_ Natalie glanced back to Jack. He was gazing up at the branches.

"I'll grab one of those vines and pull us to shore" He said.

"Good idea" Annie grinned.

Natalie held her breath as she watched her cousins glide under the vines.

Jack stood up, the canoe rocked under him, and Jack wind-milled his arms, struggling to keep his balance.

"Balance the canoe!" He called. Annie leaned hard to one side. The canoe steadied itself.

Jack lunged for the first vine. He missed.

 _Come on Jack, you've got this!_ Natalie thought as she saw the canoe approach another cluster of vines.

Jack reached for one, and grabbed it!

 _Whew!_ Natalie grinned as Jack held the vine in both hands.

" _Hisssss!"_ The vine in Jack's hands suddenly wriggled and jerked about. A scaly head dropped down in front of Jack and hissed angrily.

Natalie gasped; Jack's 'vine' was a long, green snake!

" _Ahhhh!_ " Jack let go and fell back into the canoe. The snake fell from the tree branch into the water. It gazed at Jack and Annie for a moment, then swam away.

"Oh man!" Jack gasped, he and Annie stared at each other.

 _Another near miss! This is getting ridiculous!_ Natalie thought as clambered across the vine-draped branches, keeping a careful lookout for other snakes. She didn't know if snakes around here ate monkeys, but she sure didn't want to find out.

The canoe moved on past the vines. Natalie couldn't see any more ahead.

"What now?" Annie asked.

"Well…" Jack glanced around. His gaze rested on a large branch floating in the water nearby. "Grab that branch over there. Maybe we can use it as a paddle"

"Okay" Annie reached for the branch.

Suddenly, the branch moved! It lifted up into the air!

Natalie screeched in alarm, it was a _crocodile_!

"Help!" Annie screamed as the crocodile snapped its jaws at her. She fell back into the canoe.

The crocodile snapped at them again, then turned and swam away up the river.

 _Okay, that is_ _ **It**_ _!_ Natalie couldn't watch any longer. _I am_ _ **so**_ _getting my cousins off this river and we are_ _ **so**_ _getting out of here!_

Natalie leapt to a tree that grew at the very edge of the riverbank. She clambered onto a branch that hung out over the water.

" _Hey! Hey over here!"_ She screeched.

Jack and Annie visible jumped and glanced around wildly.

"What now?" Annie asked.

"Help" Jack moaned.

" _Over here!"_ Natalie called.

Annie spotted her first. "Jack, look!" She pointed to Natalie, who was now hanging by her tail, waving at them.

Jack looked, and his jaw dropped.

" _Are you two okay?"_ Natalie called.

"Hi there!" Annie called, waving at her.

 _They're okay_ , Natalie sighed with relief.

" _Excuse me? Excuse me?"_

 _Huh?_ Natalie tilted her head as a tiny voice reached her ears. She saw Peanut the mouse poking her head out of Annie's pocket.

" _Are you talking to me?"_ Natalie screeched in monkey tongue.

" _Yes! I am! I need your help!"_ Peanut squeaked back.

Natalie was amazed. Peanut had never spoken to her before. And her voice sounded familiar.

" _Can you help me, please?"_ Peanut called over.

" _Uh…sure! What do you need?"_ Natalie screeched.

" _Can you throw us one of the mangos in that tree?"_ Peanut asked.

Natalie glanced up and saw some big red fruit hanging above her. _Why would she want that?_ Natalie wondered. _"Sure, but what do you want it for?"_ She screeched. She couldn't see how throwing them a mango would help get her cousins back to shore any quicker.

" _I cannot explain right now, just throw it, quickly, please!"_ Peanut squeaked, she sounded desperate.

"Don't worry Peanut" said Annie, picking up the mouse and stroking her tiny head. "It's just a little monkey, he can't hurt us"

 _Why would Peanut want a mango?_ Natalie stared at the mouse, who stared back at her.

Suddenly, Natalie understood. _Oh, maybe a mango is the thing Jack and Annie are supposed to find!_

Natalie quickly reached up and plucked one of the fruits. " _Heads up! Here it comes!"_ She screeched and hurled it at the canoe.

She missed. The fruit fell into the water with a splash.

"Watch it!" Jack shouted, flinching away.

" _Try again!"_ Peanut squeaked. _"Please! Try again!"_

" _Okay! Okay! Don't worry!"_ Natalie screeched and plucked another fruit.

"Don't throw things at us!" Annie shouted.

Natalie ignored Annie and threw the fruit at the canoe. She threw it high, hoping Jack or Annie would grab it.

But her cousins both ducked and the fruit fell into the water.

"Stop that!" Annie shouted.

" _I'm trying to help you!"_ Natalie screeched back, forgetting that Annie couldn't understand her.

"Oh brother" groaned Jack "I don't believe this!"

 _That makes two of us!_ Natalie gritted her teeth and grabbed a third mango. Thinking back to her shuriken training, she cleared her mind, took a deep breath, and hurled the fruit at her cousins. It landed inside the canoe with a thump.

" _Yes!"_ Natalie screeched happily, jumping up and down on her branch.

"You think that's funny?" Annie shouted, grabbing the fruit. "Let's see how you like it!" Leaning back, she flung the fruit back at Natalie.

" _What are you doing?"_ Natalie screeched as the fruit splattered against the tree trunk below her. _"She needs that!"_

"Woah!" Annie cried out as the canoe rocked underneath her. She whirled her arms to keep her balance.

" _Annie, I'm trying to help you here!"_ Natalie screeched loudly, waving her arms.

" _Please, try again!"_ Peanut called, she was running along the side of the canoe.

" _Okay! Okay!"_ Natalie was starting to get annoyed. She grabbed another fruit, took aim, and hurled it towards Annie.

"Ow!" Annie cried out as the fruit hit her in the head. She sat down hard in the canoe.

 _Oops!_ Natalie covered her mouth with both her monkey hands. She had _not_ meant to do _that!_

"Annie, are you alright?" Jack called from the back of the canoe. Annie groaned and rubbed her head.

" _Annie, I'm so sorry!"_ Natalie screeched. _"I wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear!"_

Annie raised her head, she looked angry. "GO AWAY!" Annie screamed at Natalie, her voice echoing across the river. "YOU'RE THE MEANEST THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!

" _I'm trying to help you!"_ Natalie yelled back as she reached for another mango.

"DIDN'T YOUR MOTHER TEACH YOU ANY MANNERS?" Annie yelled. "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!"

Natalie froze on her branch, dropping the mango in her hands. Ice-cold dread flooded through her, just like it did every time someone mentioned Natalie's parents within earshot. Images of her mother and father flashed before her eyes, a horrible screeching filled her ears, it was so loud that Natalie winced.

Even though the car accident that had claimed the lives of both of Natalie's parents had been months ago, Natalie still felt a sense of despair every time it was brought up. The psychologist she had seen after the accident had called it 'survivor's guilt', the fact that Natalie had survived with only a broken wrist while both her parents had died.

As Natalie stared at Annie, the dread quickly faded away, replaced with hot, bubbling anger. " _FINE!"_ Natalie suddenly screeched as loud as she could. " _IF YOU'RE GONNA BE LIKE THAT, GET **YOURSELVES** OUT OF THIS MESS!"_

Barely noticing the surprised look on her cousins' faces, Natalie whirled around and scrambled away from the riverbank. She leapt away from the mango tree and swung into the forest.

" _Wait! Please come back!"_ She heard Peanut squeak, but she didn't care anymore.

Natalie moved until she could no longer hear the river anymore, then paused as the feeling of dread returned, pressing her like the humidity of the rainforest air all around her.

Everyone had tried to tell Natalie that it wasn't her fault, but deep down, Natalie wasn't so sure. She felt that she should have gotten more out of the accident than just a broken wrist.

" _How could Annie say something like that? Doesn't she realize I'm just trying to help?"_ Natalie wondered as she curled up on a branch. She felt something wet roll down her face, and wondered if monkeys could cry.

 _Well no more!_ Natalie growled, baring her teeth. _If they don't want my help fine, let them fend for themselves for once!_

THUMP! Natalie flinched as something large landed in front of her, but relaxed when she saw that it was another monkey.

 _What is wrong?_ The monkey asked.

Natalie didn't feel like talking to the monkey. _"Go away!"_ She snapped.

" _What is wrong?"_ The monkey asked again, tilting his head.

" _Nothing is wrong! Leave me alone!"_ Natalie growled, turning her back to the monkey.

Natalie felt something grab her tail and pull it hard. " _Ow!"_ She yelped, whirling around. Her eyes widened as she got a good look. This was the same monkey that had told Natalie to follow him when they had seen the army ants. What was he doing here?

The other monkey grinned at her, showing clear white teeth. He pulled her tail again.

" _Ow! Stop that!"_ Natalie screeched as she pulled her tail out of the other monkey's grasp. " _Go away!"_ She bared her teeth at the monkey.

To her surprise, the other monkey shook his head. _"I cannot go away until you tell me what is wrong"_ He said.

Natalie growled at the monkey. He didn't move.

Natalie finally sighed. _If It'll get this guy off my back, then I might as well tell him_ , she thought, and nodded at him.

The other monkey grinned and Natalie felt herself grin back, she already felt a little calmer.

" _I was trying to help my cousin, but she yelled at me"_ She said.

" _Why would she do that?"_ The other monkey asked.

Natalie scratched her hear and looked down. " _I kinda…mighta…. sort of… hit her on the head with a mango"_ She admitted

" _You hit her on the head with a mango?"_ The other monkey's eyes narrowed.

" _but I didn't do it on purpose!"_ Natalie quickly added. _"I was just trying to help her, that's all!"_

" _Did she see it that way?"_ The other monkey asked.

Natalie paused. _"What do you mean?"_

" _Well, I am just saying"_ The monkey scratched his shoulder as he spoke. _"If I was hit on the head with a mango, I would not be very happy"_

" _Yes, I'm sure you wouldn't be, but…"_

" _Did you tell her that you did not mean to hit her on the head with a mango?"_ The monkey asked, leaning forwards.

" _Well no, but…"_ Natalie said.

" _Then I am not surprised that she is angry at you"_ the other monkey sat up, looking satisfied. " _You should go tell her that you did not mean to hit her on the head with a mango"_

" _I can't!"_ Natalie screeched, louder than she meant to. The other monkey flinched.

Natalie took a deep breath to calm down, and continued. " _I can't tell her that. She wouldn't understand."_ She turned away.

" _Why not? It sounds simple to me. Just go up to her and say, 'I am very sorry that I hit you on the head with a mango, I did not do it on purpose', and then everything will be alright again"_

Natalie frowned, but didn't look up. _"I was trying to tell her that when she yelled at me"_ She said.

 _Not that it would have made a difference,_ Natalie thought to herself. _Monkeys don't speak English_.

" _Hmmm"_ The other monkey mumbled. _"What did she say to you?"_ He asked.

Natalie felt a shudder creep down her spine. _"She…she said that my mother would be ashamed of me"_ Natalie sniffed, and felt wetness slide down her face again. She covered her face with her hands.

" _Oh dear"_ The other monkey said.

" _She knows that I hate it when people say things like that to me!"_ Natalie's voice was muffled through her hands. _But she said it anyway!"_

" _What is 'people'?"_ The other monkey asked.

Natalie gasped as she realized her mistake. _Um... I mean, other monkeys!"_ She said quickly, turning to face the monkey. _"She knows I hate it when other monkeys talk like that!"_

" _I see"_ The monkey pinched his lip and closed his eyes. He looked so thoughtful that Natalie fought the urge to chuckle at his appearance.

Natalie looked down at the branch she was sitting on. She wondered if she should continue. She knew that Merlin had sworn her to secrecy, it felt so good to tell _someone_ about the burden she was carrying, even if that someone was just a monkey.

She felt the other monkey gently place a hand on her shoulder. _"This is not the only thing that is bothering you, is it?"_

A smile flitted across Natalie's face. Apparently, her eagerness was more visible than she thought.

 _Well, I've told him this much,_ Natalie consoled herself. _and it's not like he's gonna tell anyone_

Natalie shook her head. " _There is something else. But if I tell you, you can't tell anyone else, okay? It's a secret"_

The other monkey nodded at her. _"I will tell no one"_ He said, and he looked so serious that Natalie giggled.

" _Monkey's honor?"_ Natalie asked, holding out her hand.

The other monkey stared at her hand, then looked at his own. Slowly reaching out, he clasped her hand. " _Monkey's honor"_ He said.

She took a keep breath, and continued talking. " _Over the past few months, I've been watching over my cousin and her brother. I've risked my life to keep them safe, more than once, but they don't even know that I've been protecting them"_

" _Then maybe you should tell her all that you have done for he and her brother."_ The monkey said.

Natalie shook her head. _"I can't do that. I promised Mer…er, their father that I would not tell them"_ Natalie bit her lip. She had almost said Merlin's name and hoped the monkey hadn't noticed her slip up.

The other monkey didn't answer. When Natalie looked up, she saw that he was staring at her with a confused look on his face.

" _I cannot see why their father would not want you to tell them, but if you cannot talk to her, maybe you should show her"_ he finally said.

Now Natalie felt confused. _"Show her what?"_

" _Show her that you are sorry that you hit her on the head with a mango"_ The other monkey smiled at her.

" _How am I supposed to do that?"_ Natalie asked. _"The moment my cousin sees me, she may start yelling at me again"_

" _If that happens, you will just have to wait for her to stop"_ The monkey said. _"And then you show her that you are sorry for hitting her on the head with a mango"_ He smiled at Natalie.

Natalie smiled back at the monkey. _"If only it were that easy"_ she said sadly.

 _"You will never know unless you try"_ the monkey replied.

Something about the monkey's words made Natalie look up at the monkey. As he sat there, staring at her, Natalie felt a strange feeling flow through her, like she had just eaten some hot soup and the heat was racing through her body. She felt a lot better, she felt happier.

A loud rumble made Natalie look up towards the canopy.

 _"Did you hear that?"_ Natalie asked as a flash of light lit up the trees above.

The monkey didn't answer. Natalie looked down, but the branch in front of her was bare.

The monkey was gone.

" _Where did he go?"_ Natalie looked around, but she didn't see any sign of the monkey anywhere.

As Natalie scratched her head, the monkey's last words came back to her. _You will never know unless you try._

Natalie snorted. _Why bother trying? Annie made her feelings pretty clear._ She thought to herself.

The leaves above Natalie rustled, making her look up. She saw a flash of gold amongst the leaves.

 _Wow, what is that?_ Natalie's eyes widened as a small creature that looked kind of like a monkey scurried along the branch above her. The creature was covered in black fur except for its hands and feet, which were reddish gold.

The creature suddenly paused and looked around. A furry 'hump' on the creatures' back suddenly moved and a smaller head raised up.

 _Awww_! Natalie grinned as the baby also looked around from the safety of its mother's back.

As Natalie shifted her position to get a look, a second creature, smaller than the first, suddenly appeared in front of the mother.

" _What do you want?"_ The mother cried out, showing sharp teeth.

" _Give him to me!"_ The second creature responded with a cry of its own and slapped the trunk of the tree.

Natalie watched curiously as both little monkeys faced each other, neither of them moving.

Suddenly, the baby climbed down from the mother's back and scurried over to the other creature. To Natalie's amazement, the second creature lay down and the baby began to nurse.

 _Wait,_ _ **that**_ _'s the mother? Then who's that?"_ Natalie looked at the first monkey, who clambered over to sit with the baby.

Suddenly, Natalie understood. _Oh, he must be the father_! She thought.

Natalie shifted her position to get a closer look and her tail brushed against a branch. The leaves rattled.

Both monkeys turned towards the noise, and upon seeing Natalie gazing at them, both screeched in alarm, staring back at Natalie with beady black eyes.

" _Who are you?"_

" _What do want?"_ The mother bared her sharp little teeth at Natalie while the father screeched and swiped the air in Natalie's direction.

" _Wait, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"'_ Natalie said, taking a step backwards.

" _Go away! Go away!"_ The father cried out again. His small cries sounded surprisingly loud.

Suddenly the entire branch seemed to be crawling with these little monkey-like creatures.

" _Go away! We do not want you here!"_ They screeched at Natalie, their sharp little claws digging into the bark of the branch. Their little fangs seemed to gleam in the dim light.

 _I think I'd better get out of here_ , Natalie thought, taking a step back.

" _GO AWAY!"_ The screeching of the little monkeys seemed to get louder.

" _Okay! Okay! I'm going!"_ Natalie screeched as she turned and scampered along the trees back towards the river.

When she was out of sight of the little monkeys, Natalie paused. _Weird!_ She thought. _Those two were yelling at each other a minute ago, but when they saw me it was like they suddenly just forgave each other. Like the danger that I posed was more important than their disagreement._

Natalie sighed as she gazed down at the knotted wood of the branch she was sitting on. _If only things were that easy between me and my cousins._ Natalie wanted to forgive them, but she still felt hurt by what Annie had said.

There was another bright flash, and Natalie blinked. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but the knotholes in the branch suddenly looked an awful lot like a human face.

Jack and Annie's faces suddenly seemed to swim before Natalie's eyes. Both her cousins were smiling at her.

 _Wait, what am I saying?_ Natalie scolded herself. _Of course, Annie didn't mean that! She didn't know it was me! She's just angry that she got hit on the head! That's all!_

Natalie winced as another loud flash lit up the trees, followed by another loud rumble.

 _That doesn't sound good!_ Natalie thought. The rumble was followed by a steady hissing noise that sounded a lot like rain.

 _Oh, a river's a bad place to be in a rainstorm!_ Natalie glanced back over her shoulder towards the river. _I'd better go check on them_.

Natalie turned to go, scampering along and across the branches back in the direction she had come from.

 _I'm starting to see why Merlin didn't like this place_ , Natalie thought to herself as she moved through the trees. _There are so many dangers here, it gets to you after a while_.

" _Fear is a powerful force that can cause people to at in ways they normally would not"_ Merlin's voice echoed in Natalie's head.

Natalie chuckled to herself, _You got that right!_

Natalie emerged on the riverbank. Now she could clearly see rain coming down. Thunder boomed from overhead.

Natalie scanned the river, looking for Jack and Annie. There was no sign of them.

 _Oh man! They're probably miles downstream by now!_ Natalie thought. She began moving downriver as fast as she could. Using her hands, feet, and tail, Natalie quickly swung from tree to tree.

 _There they are!_ Natalie suddenly spotted Jack and Annie, still in the canoe, a few feet ahead of her. They were talking to each other, probably discussing the best way to get to shore.

Natalie smiled as she caught up with her cousins. They looked wet, but they seemed okay.

 _Now, how am I going to get them off the river?_ Natalie wondered, looking around for something she could use.

Her eyes fell upon a long stick lying on the riverbank. She grinned. _Perfect!_

Moving quickly, Natalie scurried down to the riverbank and grabbed the stick. Racing back up the tree, she swung from branch to branch, from tree to tree, until she managed to get ahead of Jack and Annie.

Hanging by her tail from a tree branch that grew over the river, Natalie held the stick out towards them, but neither of them looked up.

" _Hey, you guys!"_ Natalie cried out, trying to get their attention.

Jack spotted her first. "On no! That monkey's back!" He ducked down.

Annie's eyes narrowed as she looked at Natalie. Natalie felt like cringing, but she held the stick out to them.

Annie jumped up, her fists clenched.

"Watch it, he's nuts!" Jack cried out. He ducked down inside the canoe.

Natalie shook her head. " _Just grab the stick!"_ she screeched.

Annie's eyes moved from Natalie to the stick and back. Her face suddenly brightened. Her frown seemed to fade away.

Natalie smiled at Annie.

Annie smiled back at Natalie.

" _Come on!"_ Natalie shook the stick.

Annie nodded and reached for it.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"He wants to help us" said Annie.

 _He?_ Natalie snorted. _Can't they see that I'm a girl monkey?_

"Help us how?" Jack asked.

" _Like this!"_ Natalie stretched as far as she could, reaching out towards the canoe with the stick.

Annie grabbed the other end of it, and Natalie pulled with all her strength. To her surprise, the canoe instantly started floating towards her.

Natalie pulled and pulled until the canoe struck the bank of the river.

Thunder roared from above as Jack and Annie jumped out of the canoe. The rain seemed to fall even harder.

" _Come on!"_ Natalie called to her cousins, as she took off, swinging through the trees, heading back upriver.

A few branches later, she paused and looked back.

Jack and Annie were still standing by the canoe, staring at her.

" _Come on, let's go"_ Natalie called, beckoning to them.

Annie's face brightened. "He wants us to follow him!"

"No! We need to find the special thing." Jack shook his head. "Then we need to go home"

" _I can help you do both!"_ Natalie screeched at them. _"Come on!"_

"He wants to help us! I can tell!" Annie said, running towards Natalie.

Nodding, Natalie turned and swung away from the river, into the forest.

Under the trees, it was surprisingly dry, like the trees were acting as one big umbrella. Natalie could hear the rain striking the trees above her, and could see the water flowing down some of the trunks, but none of it hit her.

After a few minutes, Natalie realized that she couldn't hear Jack and Annie behind her. She turned.

She couldn't see either of them.

 _Oh great!_ _Where did they go now?_ Natalie grumbled, retracing her steps.

"Hey you!" Annie's voice suddenly came from her right.

Smiling, Natalie leapt over to another tree, and froze.

Annie was below her, on her hands and knees, playing with an animal that looked like a giant kitten.

"Aww, you're so cute" Annie giggled as she batted at the kitten's paws. The kitten made a purring sound and swiped back. It had gold fur and black spots.

" _Annie!"_ She screeched. Both Annie and the kitten looked up.

"Hey, look at this little guy!" Annie said, stroking the kitten's head "Isn't it cute?"

As Natalie looked at the kitten, the fur on the back of her neck stood up. Sure, the kitten _did_ look cute, but something about this scene felt wrong to Natalie.

" _Annie, I don't think you should be doing that!"_ Natalie warned.

Annie just smiled at Natalie and went back to playing with the kitten.

" _Seriously, Annie!"_ Natalie screeched, gazing at the kitten's tiny sharp teeth. _"If that's a baby, I don't think we want to meet the mother!"_

"Annie?" Jack's voice suddenly rang through the trees.

Annie's head popped back up. "Jack! Jack!" She cried.

"Where are you?" Jack's voice became louder. Natalie thought she heard footsteps.

"Here!" Annie called.

" _We're over here Jack!"_ Natalie screeched. " _Hurry!"_

The sound of footsteps got louder.

Jack suddenly appeared from behind a tree.

" _Quick Jack, get Annie to stop!"_ Natalie screeched. The longer Annie was playing with the kitten, the more nervous Natalie became.

Jack didn't look up at Natalie, he was staring at the kitten.

"What is that?" He asked.

"I don't know, but I love it" Annie giggled as she kept playing with the kitten, which raced back and forth in front of her.

"I'd better find out what that is" Jack said, and pulled the rainforest book out of his backpack.

" _Good idea_ " Natalie nodded

"It's so cute!" Annie squealed as Jack flipped through the book pages.

Natalie clambered over until she was above Jack. She watched as he found a page in the book that showed a large cat with gold fur and black spots. Under the picture, they read:

 **The Jaguar is the biggest predator in the western hemisphere and is the only living big cat native to the Central and Southern American continent. It is an ambush predator and kills its prey by biting down through the top of the skull. This strategy allows it to prey on animals bigger than itself.**

Natalie felt an icy chill flood through her, _oh no!_

"Forget cute Annie" Jack looked up from her book. "That must be a baby jaguar! When it grows up, it'll be the biggest predator in the rainforest!"

Annie looked up. "What's a predator?" She asked.

" _GRRRRR!"_ A terrible growl tore through the air.

Jack and Natalie whirled around.

" _Uh, oh!"_ Natalie cried out.

A large jaguar was creeping out from behind a tree. _It was the mother!_

"Freeze!" Jack whispered.

Annie froze, but the mother jaguar did not. She slowly crept over the dead leaves, straight towards Annie.

Annie whimpered as the jaguar got closer, the cat's eyes gleamed in the dim light. " _Get away from my baby!"_ Natalie heard the mother growl.

"Help!" Jack said weakly.

Natalie felt numb, she wanted to help, but she wasn't sure how. She glanced from the cowering Annie to the angry mother. _Oh Annie, why did you have to pull the tiger's tail?_ She thought, using one of her father's favorite quotes about looking for trouble.

 _Wait a minute!_ Natalie's brain suddenly clicked. _Pull the tiger's tail?_ Natalie's eyes fell to the jaguar's tail, trailing through the leaves.

 _That's it!_ Natalie knew from personal experience that having someone pull on your tail was very painful. If she could distract the jaguar, maybe Jack and Annie could get away.

Silently, Natalie clambered up her tree and moved along the branches until she was behind the mother jaguar.

 _I can't believe I'm about to do this,_ she thought. For all she knew, Jaguars ate monkeys. But there was no time to think of another solution.

 _I hope this works._ Natalie swooped down out of the tree she was in, grabbed the mother jaguar's furry tail in both hands and gave a sharp yank.

" _OW!"_ The mother jaguar roared and spun around. Her golden eyes gleamed as they found Natalie. " _Stop that!"_ The mother growled.

Every instinct screamed for Natalie to run, but she forced herself to return the mother's cold stare. " _Make me!"_ She screeched at the mother, and pulled her tail again, harder this time.

" _OW! Why you little pest!"_ The mother roared. Natalie saw Annie jump to her feet.

 _I've got to lead her away!_ Natalie thought. " _Catch me if you can!"_ She taunted before taking off, dashing through the trees as fast as she could.

" _Come back here!"_ The mother jaguar roared and Natalie heard the cat chase after her.

"Run Annie!" She heard Jack cry out as she raced between the trees.

Natalie suddenly felt worried that the Jaguar might turn back of she heard Jack's cry. _"Ha ha! You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"_ She taunted over her shoulder as she raced across the leaf-covered forest floor.

Suddenly, Natalie felt a dark shadow pass over her and the mother jaguar thudded down in front of her, scattering leaves as she whirled to face Natalie.

" _Oh yes I can!"_ she growled and sprang right at Natalie.

" _Yikes!"_ Natalie changed direction as quickly as she could and bolted for the nearest tree. She leapt for the nearest branch, felt her fingertips grasp it, and pulled herself up. Without pausing, she began climbing up the tree trunk as fast as she could.

" _Come back here!"_ The mother jaguar roared angrily and Natalie whimpered as she felt the tree shudder beneath her, but she didn't stop climbing until she reached a branch near the middle of the trunk.

Grasping the branch with all four limbs and her tail, Natalie looked down.

The mother jaguar was glaring up at her. She growled then sprang up at her again.

" _YIKES!"_ Natalie cried out in terror as the mother's jump raised her to just under Natalie's branch. The jaguar's sharp claws dug into the tree bark, and the tree itself shook as she tried to haul herself up the trunk, but she was too heavy and eventually she was forced to let go and drop back down to the first floor.

Natalie let out a big sigh of relief. She was safe up here; the jaguar couldn't reach her.

" _Ha ha! Nyah nyah!"_ She taunted, sticking her tongue out at the mother down below.

The jaguar roared angrily, but didn't try to jump again. She must have realized that Natalie was beyond her reach. Suddenly, the mother blinked and looked over her shoulder, as if she just now realized that she had abandoned her baby to chase after Natalie.

 _I hope that cub is okay,_ Natalie thought, following the mother's gaze.

When the mother looked back up at Natalie, there was fire in her eyes. _"You were lucky today, little monkey"_ She growled, rising onto her hind legs, she placed her front paws on the tree trunk. _"But you will not be so lucky when we next meet. Pray that time never comes, because when it does, you will, not, escape!"_ The mother glared at Natalie, her amber eyes burning in the dim light. The mother ran her claws down the tree trunk, leaving a series of deep scratches.

Natalie gulped nervously.

Giving Natalie one last growl, the mother jaguar turned and stalked through the trees, back towards her baby.

 _I hope Jack and Annie got away,_ Natalie thought as she watched the mother leave, _because there is_ _ **no**_ _way I'm doing that again._ Natalie slumped against the tree branch. Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

Natalie took several deep breaths. Gradually, she felt herself calming down. _I'd say I've definitely worn out my welcome here. I need to find Jack and Annie and get back to the tree house!_ Natalie looked around her.

She froze. _Uh oh!_ She thought, _which way_ _ **is**_ _the tree house?_ Every direction looked the same.

 _Oh great! Now I'm lost!_ _This is the worst mission ever!_ Natalie thought, her head drooped in despair.

 _Okay, don't panic Natalie!_ Natalie said to herself. She took a deep breath. _Think! There must be a way to find the tree house!_

Natalie slowly looked around again, but the surrounding trees all looked the same. There was no way of telling which way the tree house, or her cousins, were.

Natalie considered following the jaguar's path back towards where her baby had been, but she doubted Jack and Annie would still be there, and she didn't want to face the jaguar again.

Natalie closed her eyes and listened for the sound of her cousin's voices, but there were so many other noises around her that she couldn't hear them. Either that, or her cousins were too far away for Natalie to hear them.

Her mind whirring, Natalie looked up, then grinned as she remembered something. To find the tree house earlier, Natalie had climbed up to the top of the forest canopy!

 _Maybe if I do that again, I'll get a sense of where to go!_ Natalie thought as she started climbing. Since she hadn't crossed the river, and since her cousins hadn't been on the river for very long, Natalie hoped she would still be able to see the tree house.

Natalie quickly reached the understory, where the leaves and branches became thicker and closer together, forcing her to move slower. It was also getting darker.

Natalie moved carefully, trying not to disturb anything. She once heard an angry hiss behind her and sped up, but slowed down when that momentum caused her to almost fall off the branch she was on.

As Natalie recovered her balance, her gaze landed on a nearby branch in another tree. At least a dozen mangos were hanging from the branch.

 _Well, Peanut said she needed a mango_ , Natalie said to herself as she reached out and plucked one from the branch. She held it in one arm, clasped it to her chest, and kept moving.

Soon, Natalie pushed her way through the thick leaves and found herself looking out over the top of the forest canopy. The sky, which was clear before, was now overcast and Natalie had the impression that dusk was fast approaching.

 _I'd better hurry!_ Natalie looked around, narrowing her eyes as she scanned the surrounding canopy. But she didn't see the tree house anywhere.

 _Wait!_ _What's that?_ Natalie squinted towards a large line that cut through the green field of the canopy not far away.

 _The river!_ Natalie suddenly realized. _That must be the river! If I can get to it, and then follow it back upstream, it should lead me to the tree house!_

Grinning, Natalie ducked back down, travelling through the leaves until she reached the bottom of the understory. Then she set off, leaping from branch to branch.

She reached the river in no time and started moving back up the bank. She had to move a little slower because she was using one hand to hold onto the mango, but she kept going, moving from vine to branch to branch to vine.

Eventually Natalie stopped, glancing around. Nothing looked familiar, had she gone too far? She climbed up another tree until she reached the canopy and looked around again.

" _Yes!"_ Natalie let out a happy cheer. The tree house was sitting in the tree tops some distance away!

Carefully clutching the mango, Natalie made her way through the foliage of the canopy, pausing now and then to poke her head out to make sure she was heading in the right direction.

Eventually, Natalie saw the rope ladder hanging down through the leaves ahead of her and smiled happily as she reached the tree that held the tree house.

Carefully, Natalie clambered up the trunk, pushing her way through the understory foliage and emerged back in the forest canopy.

"It's not here!" Natalie hard Annie cry out as she clambered up to the tree house.

"What?" Natalie peaked in the window to see her cousins looking about the tree house.

 _Whew! They made it back!_ Natalie sighed She felt very relieved.

"Was it here before we left home?" asked Jack.

"I-I don't remember" Annie replied.

 _They must be looking for the Pennsylvania book,_ Natalie realized. That particular book was Jack and Annie's ticket to returning home.

"Oh man" Natalie could hear panic in Jack's voice. "That means we can't get back to Frog Creek!"

"Which means we'll be here when the…the v-vampire bats come out" said Annie. Natalie saw her cousin biting her lip. Annie looked really nervous.

 _I don't think so!_ Natalie grinned as she lobbed the mango through the tree house window.

"AAAAHH!" Jack and Annie ducked down, hiding their faces.

" _Calm down, it's only a mango!"_ Natalie laughed at them as she hopped onto the windowsill.

Jack and Annie looked up. Jack's eyes widened, Annie's face lit up.

"It's you!" Jack cried out.

"You're safe!" Annie exclaimed.

Natalie nodded at them, grinning happily.

"Thanks for saving us from the jaguar" Jack said.

 _You're welcome_ , Natalie smiled at him.

" _It is good to see you again"_ Natalie looked down as Peanut scampered across the floor towards her. She paused by the mango and looked up, her dark eyes shining. _"And thank you for bringing this to us"_

Natalie frowned. Why did that voice sound so familiar? _Wait a minute…!_

" _Morgan?"_ Natalie gasped as she suddenly remembered where she had heard that voice before. "I _s that you?"_

The mouse blinked, as if in surprise. " _How do you know my name?"_ She asked.

Natalie couldn't believe it. It _was_ her! Morgan le Fay, the enchantress that Natalie had been forced to hide from for weeks, was Peanut!

" _Morgan, it's me, N"_ Natalie said.

Morgan's whole body seemed to stiffen. Her long pink tail quivered. _"N?"_ Morgan gasped. " _What are you doing here?"_

" _Helping you, I guess"_ Natalie replied. _"I was told that you were planning to ask Jack and Annie to help free someone from a spell, but I didn't know that someone was_ _ **you!**_ _"_

" _You were told…?"_ Morgan repeated, and Natalie could see the mouse's black eyes narrow in suspicion. " _By whom?"_

Natalie paused, realizing her mistake. " _Umm…."_ She scratched her head

Annie came to Natalie's rescue. "I have one question" She said, pointing at the mango that lay on the tree house floor. "Why do you keep throwing that at us?"

 _Because you need it, silly!_ Natalie thought as she picked up the fruit.

"No! Don't throw it!" Jack ducked down again.

 _Relax!_ Natalie cocked her head, grinning at Jack, before holding the fruit out to Annie.

Annie stared at the fruit, then at Natalie. She looked confused.

Natalie fought the urge to roll her eyes. " _This is the special thing you need to help Morgan, Annie!"_ She said, moving her lips as she spoke.

Annie frowned thoughtfully, like she was trying to understand.

" _The…special…thing!"_ Natalie repeated slowly, moving her lips as best she could.

Understanding slowly appeared on Annie's face. "Oh wow" She said. "I understand now!"

"Understand what?" Jack asked, looking from Annie to Natalie.

Annie reached out and took the fruit from Natalie. "This is it!" She said, turning to Jack. "This is the thing we need"

"What thing?" Jack tilted his head.

"This must be one of the special things we're supposed to find for Morgan!" said Annie "To free her from the spell!"

Jack's face lit up, but he still looked hesitant. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Just then, Annie gasped. "Look!" She pointed towards a corner of the tree house. Natalie and Jack looked. Sitting in the corner was a familiar-looking book.

"Our book!" Natalie grinned as Jack grabbed it.

"We found the thing we need to find, and now we can see the book" Annie said softly. "That's how the ninja master said it would work, remember?"

 _So that's what the ninja master was doing in the tree house!_ Natalie realized, thinking back to their last adventure, when the ninja master had spoken briefly with Jack and Annie while Natalie had distracted the army of samurai.

Natalie laughed out loud, causing Jack and Annie to look up at her. They laughed too.

"How did you know to give this to us?" Annie asked, looking Natalie in the eye. "Who told you to do that?"

 _Morgan did_ , Natalie turned to look at the mouse, who was sitting on the M. Morgan's dark eyes stared up at Natalie and Natalie felt a shudder travel down her body.

" _I do not know why you are here, N" Morgan_ finally squeaked, _"But I thank you for your assistance."_

" _Happy to help"_ Natalie replied, smiling at Morgan, though inside she still felt nervous. Though Morgan _sounded_ sincere, Natalie did not like the way the enchantress was looking at her. Even though she was a mouse, Morgan was still intimidating.

"Hang on a minute" Natalie looked up to see Jack looking from her to Morgan. "Do you two…know each other?"

 _L_ _ong story, Jack._ Natalie waved at Jack and Annie. _And quite frankly, now's probably not the best time to talk about it!_ With that, Natalie turned and leapt out of the tree house window.

"Wait!" She heard Jack call as she scrambled down to the canopy and dove into the thick leaves.

Natalie paused when she was certain she could no longer be seen by them, then turned and peeked back through the leaves.

Jack had left the window, but Annie was still looking out, still searching for her. "Good Bye!" She called.

" _Bye for now!"_ Natalie screeched in reply, moving closer to the tree house, but still staying under the leaves.

The wind started to blow. The leaves rustled.

Natalie poked her head out of the foliage.

She saw the tree house lift off the jungle canopy.

It started to spin.

 _Here we go!_ Natalie thought as she felt the familiar tingling sensation cover her body.

The wind blew harder. Natalie felt it lift her off her branch and into the air.

She closed her eyes as she began to spin in the air.

She spun faster and faster. The wind roared in her ears.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie felt her feet hit the ground.

"Welcome back, Natalie" A quiet voice spoke

Natalie opened her eyes. She was back in Merlin's secret study. The elderly magician was sitting in his carved wooden chair, facing her.

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced down at herself and saw that she had become human once again.

"How was your adventure in the Amazon rainforest?" Merlin asked.

"Let's just say, I have a pretty good idea why you didn't like it there" Natalie answered, before briefly filling Merlin in on all the near-misses that they had had.

Merlin's mouth widened into a smile "I warned you that things were not as they first appeared" He said.

"No kidding" Natalie rolled her eyes.

" _ **The mango is a fruit that grows in most tropical climates. It has a sweet taste like that of a peach"**_

Jack's voice made Natalie look up to see Jack and Annie kneeling over the M image. Annie was holding the mango while Jack was reading from the rainforest book.

" _Mango? Hmmmm,"_ Annie brought the fruit close to her lips.

" _Hey! Don't eat it!"_ Natalie chuckled as she watched Jack grab the mango from Annie. " _We have to put it with the moonstone"_

Jack placed the mango on the M outline next to the moonstone.

" _Moonstone…mango…"_ Annie whispered. " _It sure sounds like the beginning of a spell"_

" _We're halfway there"_ said Jack " _Only two more things to go"_

" _And then we can free you, Morgan!"_ Annie raised her voice, like she was calling out to someone.

" _How do you know she can hear you?"_ Jack asked.

" _I can just feel it"_ Annie said.

" _Oh brother"_ Natalie saw Jack shake his head.

 _If only they knew_ , Natalie chuckled as she shook her head. Then she paused and her smile faded into a frown. "Merlin, did you know that Peanut is actually _Morgan_?" She asked, turning to look at Merlin.

Merlin didn't answer right away, he stared up at the M. Natalie wondered if he had even heard her.

She opened her mouth to ask again when Merlin suddenly spoke. "Yes, I did know"

Natalie blinked in surprise. "So, why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"I have my reasons" Merlin said. "I would like to know how you found out, though"

Natalie's frown deepened. Merlin had changed the subject rather quickly. Was he trying to hide something?

"Natalie..." Merlin's voice snapped Natalie out of her musings. He gazed at her, waiting for her answer.

"Well, when I encountered Jack and Annie, on the Amazon river, Peanut started talking to me and I recognized her voice" She said, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to talk about how Annie had yelled at her and how Natalie had abandoned them on the river as a result. Now that it was over, Natalie felt embarrassed that she had allowed herself to feel that way.

 _People keep telling me that it wasn't my fault that my parents died, but I just can help feeling like I'm somehow guilty_ , Natalie thought to herself.

"Natalie?" Natalie blinked and looked up to see Merlin gazing at her, a concerned look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"It...it's nothing" Natalie said, giving Merlin a weak smile. "It's something I need to deal with on my own"

Merlin frowned, but to Natalie's relief, he didn't ask what the problem was.

" _We have to leave you now"_ Natalie looked back up to see Jack and Annie looking to one side, probably at Morgan.

" _Can't we take her with us?"_ said Annie.

 _I don't think that's a good idea_ , Natalie thought. Her Aunt Mary, Jack and Annie's mother, didn't like rodents at all.

She saw Jack shake his head in the image. _"We can't. Mom won't let us keep a mouse in the house. She doesn't like mice, remember?"_

" _How could anyone_ _ **not**_ _like a mouse?"_ Annie asked.

" _How could anyone not like a spider?"_ Jack replied.

"Touché" Natalie chuckled.

Annie snorted. " _That's different"_ She argued as she reached over out of the image, probably to pat Morgan's head. " _Bye Peanut, wait for us here, okay? We'll be back tomorrow"_

Annie moved out of the image. Natalie saw Jack reach toward Morgan as well.

" _Bye Peanut, thanks for your help today"_ He said, and he too, moved out of the image.

 _Squeak!_ Morgan squeaked in reply, and Natalie heard Merlin chuckle next to her. She turned to see him staring up at Morgan with a smile on his face.

"Merlin, I might be wrong, but I get the impression you're really enjoying Morgan's present situation." Natalie pointed out.

Merlin sighed as he waved his staff and dispelled the M image above them. Only afterwards did he turn to look at her.

"Yes, I suppose I am. As you know, Natalie, Morgan and I do not always see eye to eye." Merlin said, and Natalie noticed his voice was hard. "There are times when we do not agree with each other's actions. Morgan recently did something I thought was foolish, which ultimately lead to her current state. I find this result to be…appropriate, considering what she did"

Natalie wanted to ask exactly what Morgan had done that would justify her being changed into a mouse, but from the look on Merlin's face, she knew he was not going to say anything more on this subject, so she let it slide.

"You should probably go as well." Merlin said, and Natalie nodded. Merlin had a habit of revealing information only when _he_ wanted to. Natalie had a feeling she would get an answer soon enough, but she could wait.

"See you next time, Merlin." Natalie smiled at Merlin.

"See you next time, Natalie" Merlin smiled back.

Natalie nodded at him, and then headed for the alcove that lead outside.

Passing through the tree trunk, Natalie quickly darted across the clearing and leapt behind a tree. She waited, peeking out from behind the trunk as Jack and Annie climbed down the rope ladder.

They reached the ground and started walking towards the road. Natalie followed them, moving from tree to tree.

"There are no jaguars or army ants here" She heard Jack say. "No little monkeys either" Natalie grinned as she caught the sadness in her cousin's voice.

"You know that monkey was never being mean" Annie said. "He was just trying to give us the mango"

"Hitting you in the head in the process" Jack added, and Natalie's grin faded as she saw Annie rub her head.

"It was an accident, that's all" Annie said. "He didn't mean it, and if he were here, I'd tell him so".

As Natalie heard this, she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her soul. She always felt better when someone forgave her for her mistakes and Annie's statement sure sounded like forgiveness.

 _Thanks Annie_ , Natalie smiled as she darted behind another tree.

"I know." Jack said. "Actually, nothing there was really being _mean_. Like the army ants, they were just marching. That's just what army ants do"

"Those piranhas were just being piranhas" Annie added

"That snake was just being a snake" Jack commented

"That crocodile was just being a crocodile" Annie countered.

"And the jaguar was just taking care of her baby" Jack said.

Natalie's heart quickened as she remembered the fire in the jaguar's eyes. _I'll say_ , she sighed.

Natalie saw Annie shudder. "I still don't like bugs" she said.

"You don't have to _like_ them" said Jack. "Just leave them alone and they won't bother you"

 _That's actually a good idea_ , Natalie thought as she darted behind another tree. _Maybe we should all just…leave the rainforest alone, so it can do its job._

Jack smiled. "'Yeah, who cares if half the bugs in the rainforest haven't been named yet. _They_ know who they are" He said.

Natalie chuckled as they approached the edge of the woods. _Never thought I'd hear Jack say that._

CRACK! Natalie froze as her foot came down on a dead branch. It cracked loudly under her weight.

"What was that?" Natalie saw her cousins look up. Her eyes locked with Annie's before she could hide.

"Natalie?" Annie gasped.

 _Oh well,_ Natalie thought, hitching a smile on her face. _Looks like I'm done sneaking around._

"Hey, you guys" Natalie called as she pushed through the bushes over to Jack and Annie.

"What are you doing here? Jack asked.

Natalie thought quickly as she came up to them. A sudden thought struck her and she smiled. "Oh, just exploring. Hey Jack, I found a _huge_ ant's nest that way" Natalie pointed behind her. "Must have the biggest ants in the whole state! You wanna go look?"

She saw her cousins look at each other. Annie made a face and Jack bit his lip.

"Thanks Natalie, but we'll pass"' Annie said.

"Yeah, we don't really want to disturb them" Jack added and the three of them started walking again.

Natalie nodded, but secretly she felt relieved. _I need to be more careful_ , she thought to herself as the three of them stepped onto the sidewalk. The street was lit up with a golden light from the setting sun.

Natalie paused, gazing at the sunset. Her parents had loved sunsets. Once a week, they would sit out on their apartment porch and watch the sunset. Natalie had often sat with them.

Natalie's lip trembled. _Stop thinking like that!_ She scolded herself.

"Natalie, are you okay?" Natalie looked up to see Jack looking at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine Jack" Natalie smiled at him. "I was just...thinking of my parents. They always loved to watch the sunset"'

Natalie felt Jack place a hand on her shoulder. "We miss them too" He said.

Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the last of the dread inside her lift away.

"OW! Hey!" Natalie's eyes shot open as Annie playfully gave her a shove.

"Wake up Natalie, it's not bedtime yet!" Annie laughed. "Race you!" She took off running.

Natalie laughed too. "Oh it is _so_ on!" She sprinted after her cousin, with Jack at her heels.

They ran down the street.

They ran across their front yard

They ran up the front steps.

Natalie lunged forward and slammed her hand against the front door seconds before Annie did.

"Safe!" Natalie crowed triumphantly.

"Aw, no fair!" Annie whined. "I was gonna beat you!"

"'Ha, if you were a monkey, maybe!" Natalie bit her lip as her cousin's eyes grew wide, then both of them laughed and headed into the house making monkey noises.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **I woke up early this morning with pain shooting through my leg and couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to finish this instead. I've had to re-write this story several times over the past few weeks because the plotline didn't flow well enough for my liking, but I'm satisfied with this setting.**

 **Ever have one of those times where everything seems to be against you? School, work, etc.., well, that's been my world for the past month. It's been slow, and it's been painful.**

 **Pain is something that I wanted to focus on in this chapter, both the physical kind of pain, and the pain of the burdens that we carry. We see in this chapter that Natalie still misses her parents, and that she blames herself, in a way, for what happened. Survivor's guilt is a common feeling amongst soldiers and I sometimes see Natalie's mission as similar to that of a soldier, she protects and defends her cousins, sometimes by putting herself in harms way. We also see, for the first time, one of the downsides of Natalie's role as a secret guardian, the fact that she has to bear such burdens alone. Negative concepts like this one may pop up again in future stories. Keep your eyes open!**

 **I also wanted to emphasize how competitive the rainforest habitat can be. This kind of habitat can contain between 80-95% of the world's species, and as such, you can imagine how competition can be fierce. The only law that the jungle seems to follow is survival of the fittest. Even humans, who have mastered many other kinds of ecosystems, are at the mercy of the jungle. Kind of makes you feel 'small', doesn't it?**

 **And so we come to the halfway point of Arc 2. The third story is almost finished and I'm halfway through writing the fourth one. With any luck, I'll have this Arc done by Christmas!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	7. Sunset of the Sabertooth

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

Sunset of the Sabertooth:

"Natalie, for the third time, you do _not_ have gills!" Jack laughed.

He, Annie, and Natalie were walking home from their swimming classes at the Y. They were passing by the Frog Creek woods.

"I _must_ have!" Natalie said, clutching her neck dramatically. "The teacher had me swimming so many laps today, I feel like a fish!"

"Natalie, I told you there's nothing on your neck" Annie giggled as they walked down the road.

"Nothing _you_ can see" Natalie replied, glancing towards the woods as she spoke.

It had been a few days since their adventure in the Amazon jungle and Natalie was sure it wouldn't be long before the next tree house trip came around.

" _No, I want to change out of my bathing suit first"_

" _Oh, that'll take too long"._ Natalie glanced behind her to see Jack and Annie whispering to each other.

Natalie smiled. She could guess what they were whispering about.

"Everything alright?" She called to them.

Jack and Annie looked up and smiled at her.

"Fine, just fine!" Annie called back to her.

"We're coming!" Jack said.

 _Yeah right_ , Natalie turned around so Jack and Annie wouldn't see her rolling her eyes. "Come on you two, keep up! I want to get home before the sun sets!" She said loudly, striding ahead.

There was no reply from Jack and Annie.

Natalie silently counted to five, and then turned around again, Jack and Annie were gone.

 _I knew it!_ Natalie smiled as she raised her hand to her lips and blew across the ring that was on her finger.

"Merlin? It's Natalie, can you hear me?" She whispered, glancing around.

" _Yes Natalie"_ A small voice seeped from the stone.

"Jack and Annie are heading your way. I'm right behind them" Natalie said as she stepped off the path into the woods.

" _Then I will see you soon"_ Merlin said.

Natalie adjusted the straps of the bag on her arm as she darted around trees and passed through patches of sunlight and shadow.

Natalie took a deep breath, the air smelled warm and fresh. Green was everywhere.

Soon, Natalie spotted Jack and Annie standing in a small clearing. On the other side of the clearing was the tallest tree in the woods. Near the top of the tree was the magic tree house.

"Hurry!" Annie was already climbing up the ladder.

Natalie paused at the edge of the clearing as Jack grabbed the ladder and started climbing as well.

Natalie's eyes followed the ladder up to the tree house, and froze. Though it was hard to see, Natalie could swear that a tiny figure was sitting in the window of the tree house, staring down at them.

 _Morgan!_ Natalie instinctively darted backwards until she couldn't see the tree house any more. _That was close!_ She sighed.

Even though the enchantress that had created the tree house was currently trapped in the form of a mouse named Peanut, Natalie still had to be careful because Morgan did not know about her and Merlin wanted it to stay that way.

A few moments later, Natalie peeked out at the tree house. The window looked bare.

Natalie crossed to the tree that held the tree house and placed both hands upon the trunk.

Closing her eyes, she whispered. "I wish to pass into the heart, another mission I seek to start" She felt the familiar flush of heat come from her ring and she pulled her hands apart. The tree trunk opened before her and she stepped inside.

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief as the tree closed behind her. Hanging her swimming bag on a hook, she stepped out of the portal and into Merlin's secret study.

"Merlin?" She called out, her eyes sweeping across the shelves of books and scrolls.

"Over here" Natalie turned to find the elder magician sitting in his carved chair, looking at a book.

"Hi Merlin, Jack and Annie are already in the tree house" said Natalie.

"I know" Merlin smiled at her before his gaze traveled upward.

Natalie looked up and giggled. Floating above them was a glowing letter M. Natalie knew this M was connected to the M carved into the floor of the tree house, allowing them to see and hear what was happening inside.

Sitting on the M image were two items, a small silver moonstone, and a large red mango.

Natalie smiled as memories from her last two adventures played in her head. She wondered where she would be going this time.

" _Hey, guess what?"_ She heard Jack's voice. " _Moonstone and Mango both start with the letter M, just like Morgan"_

"And just like Merlin" Natalie added, glancing at the magician.

Merlin didn't say anything, he just grinned.

" _I'll bet all four things start with M"_ said Jack.

" _Right"_ Said Annie. " _I wonder where we'll find the next one"_

The M grew quiet and Natalie glanced at Merlin. For the first time, she noticed the book in his hands. "What is that you're reading?" She asked.

Merlin marked his page and closed the book.

Natalie read the cover. _Animals of the Ice Age_

"The Ice Age? Brrrrr!" Natalie shivered, "That sounds cold"

"It is" said Merlin, tapping the book cover.

"Have you been there?" Natalie asked.

Merlin nodded. "I have a friend who lives there"

Natalie's eyes widened. "You do?"

"Yes" Merlin's eyes twinkled. "He is of the Cro-Magnon, one of the peoples who lived during the Ice Age. He was a student of mine."

"Like Queen Hutepi and the Ninja Master?" said Natalie.

"Correct" said Merlin. "This particular person had power over the animals that wandered the land during this time, so they called him the 'master of the animals'. He would often wear reindeer antlers so he could run like a reindeer and an owl mask, so he could see like an owl"

"Cool" Natalie smiled, wondering what it would be like to meet this sorcerer.

"His views were rare amongst the people, as the Cro-Magnon were hunters" Merlin continued. "They hunted any animal they could catch, even large animals like the mammoth."

Natalie shivered again. She was glad that she lived in this time.

" _I think we're about to find out. There's an open book"_ Jack's voice snapped Natalie out of her thoughts.

"Wait" Natalie's smile faded as she had a sudden thought. "Jack and Annie aren't going _there_ , are they?" She pointed to the book Merlin was reading.

" _Wow, I love snow"_ Annie's voice made Natalie look up. " _I wish we could go there right now"_

" _Wait, we're not prepared!"_ Jack said

"I believe that is exactly where they are going" Merlin said.

" _And we're wearing our bathing suits, stop!"_ Jack shouted.

"Oh no!" Natalie gasped, slapping the straps of her bathing suit. "So am I!"

" _Oops"_ Annie said from above.

The tree began to rumble and shake. Natalie could hear the sounds of wind coming from above.

"We can't go to the Ice Age in our bathing suits!" Natalie shouted. "We'll freeze to death!"

"Do not worry!" Merlin said, raising his staff. "I will see to it you are kept warm!" A cloud of white erupted from his staff and swirled around Natalie like a whirlwind.

"But what about Jack and Annie?" Natalie struggled to yell over the roaring of the wind and the rumbling of the tree.

"Good luck Natalie!" Merlin yelled back, he must not have heard her.

"Merlin, wait!" Natalie yelled as the roaring filled her ears and the secret study vanished.

Natalie felt her body growing larger and larger and her arms and legs rearranging. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Suddenly, everything was calm, completely calm.

To Natalie's surprise, she didn't feel cold at all.

Natalie opened her eyes and looked around.

Snow was falling all around her from a slate gray sky overhead. She was on a plain surrounded by snow-covered rocks and bare trees. Natalie could see high cliffs in the distance.

Long red hair fell into Natalie's line of sight. She tried to raise a hand to wipe it away, but her arms seemed heavy and refused to rise very far.

Natalie suddenly realized she was on all fours, and her body felt very large and _very_ warm.

Natalie looked down and nearly jumped when she saw a long reddish…thing coming down from below her eyes. It was framed by large white pointed things.

 _Wait_ , Natalie's eyes narrowed. She shook her head and the pointy things moved with her while the red thing flopped about between them.

Natalie's eyes widened as the red thing suddenly curled up to meet her. It looked like an elephant's trunk.

 _It_ _ **is**_ _a trunk!_ Natalie thought, _and those white things on either side are tusks! Merlin must have turned me into a mammoth!_

Natalie heard a deep rumble coming from inside her stomach. It sounded loud in the wintery air. Without thinking, she raised her new trunk and let out a lout trumpet.

"What was _that?"_ Annie's voice made Natalie look up. The magic tree house was at the top of a bare tree right next to her.

 _Oops!_ Natalie realized her trumpeting must have startled her cousins. She shuffled backwards, which was a little harder to do on four feet. Her heavy feet crunched on the snow.

 _At least I'm warm!_ Natalie noted. She could feel the heat flowing through her body. _But poor Jack and Annie, they must be freezing their tails off up there!_ _I'd better check on them._

Natalie started walking forward, swinging her new bulk as she walked. Her stomach grunted again.

"Jack! Look!" Natalie heard Annie yell, but didn't turn around.

"Wow! A Wooly Mammoth!" Jack cried out. "We really _are_ in the Ice Age!"

 _Really? No kidding!_ Natalie laughed, her mammoth voice echoing in the chilly air.

" _That's_ what we heard earlier" Jack said, "It wasn't a monster, it was a mammoth!"

"Jack, look" Annie suddenly said. "There's people on the cliff!"

Natalie looked up. Annie was right. Four figures were standing on the nearby cliff, two tall and two short, they all held long spears, and they were all looking in the direction of the tree house.

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie felt herself take a step backwards and her trunk quivered. _Those must be Cro-Magnons._

Natalie gulped as she remembered Merlin's warning about how the Cro Magnons hunted mammoth. _No way I'm becoming a cave-mans' main course!_ She vowed.

To her relief, the Cro-Magnons soon turned away and disappeared over the other side of the cliff.

 _That was close!_ Natalie rumbled. She looked up to see Jack and Annie scrambling down the rope ladder.

Natalie winced as she looked at her cousins in their bathing suits and sneakers. Jack was wearing a t shirt, but Annie was only wearing a pair of shorts in addition to her bathing suit.

A gust of chilly air blew past them, Natalie saw Annie shiver on the rope ladder and felt a little guilty. Thanks to her thick mammoth coat, she could barely feel the cold.

 _Come on you two! The sooner we find the M thing, the sooner you can get home!_ Natalie turned towards the white plains beyond the grove of trees.

When she didn't hear her cousins following her, Natalie turned back towards the tree house.

Jack and Annie were huddling together on the ground beneath the tree. Annie had put her swimming goggles on over her eyes and both of them had wrapped their towels over their heads.

 _Good thinking!_ Natalie nodded at them. They had recently learned in school that the human body lost most of its heat through the head.

" _Are you two okay?"_ Natalie called to them.

Both of her cousins looked up. "Hi!" Annie called, waving her hand.

" _Hi!"_ Natalie waved her trunk in reply. _"What are you waiting for? Come on!"_ Natalie started walking towards the plains again.

When she turned to make sure Jack and Annie were following her, she Jack and Annie running in the opposite direction, towards the cliffs.

" _Hey! Where are you going?"_ Natalie called out, but all she heard was trumpeting.

Natalie started after them. " _Wait! This way!"_ She called, but the wind was blowing hard and Jack and Annie didn't seem to hear her.

Natalie saw her cousins disappear behind a large rock. " _Wait up!"_ She trumpeted, moving as fast as she could.

But by the time she had reached the rock, her cousins had vanished. Natalie looked at the ground, desperately searching for their footprints, but the heavy snow quickly filled them in.

 _Oh great!_ Natalie trumpeted her annoyance. _Now what do I do?_

She glanced from side to side, but there was no sign of Jack or Annie.

 _Okay, think!_ Natalie said to herself. _If I were in Jack and Annie's position, what would I do?_ She glanced around, and her eyes noticed an opening in the nearby rocks- _A cave!_

 _I'd find a place to get out of the cold!_ Natalie thought and she ambled over to it. There was no sign of footprints in front of the cave. But there were bits of snow scattered inside the cave, like someone had gone in recently.

Natalie felt her trunk tremble. She was getting a bad feeling about this cave. It didn't look very warm, and it smelled. Natalie raised her trunk and took a deep sniff. It smelled like wet dog.

 _It's probably an animal's cave,_ Natalie thought, _I'd better keep looking._

Natalie turned left and began walking along the base of the cliff

She skirted around thin trees and stepped over low rocks, but she couldn't see any more caves in the cliff.

Finally, she stopped. _I must have gone the wrong way_ , she thought. _Jack and Annie wouldn't have wandered this far_. She began to turn around.

CRACK! Natalie froze as she heard a noise coming from behind her.

 _Jack? Annie?_ Natalie whirled around, just in time to see something brown and furry dart behind a rock.

 _What was that?_ Natalie wondered. She took a few steps towards the rock, but stopped. She suddenly felt uneasy.

 _Something tells me I shouldn't be here_. Natalie turned and headed back the way she had come from.

As Natalie walked, she felt eyes upon her, but when she turned and looked back, she didn't see anyone.

 _I'd better find my cousins quick!_ Natalie turned and began walking faster. She listened for sounds of anyone following her, but all she could hear was the crunching of her own four feet on the snow.

Eventually, Natalie arrived back at the first cave and headed off in the other direction.

As she walked, she kept her mammoth ears open for any more noises, but all she heard was the wind and her own footsteps in the snow. Strangely, this only made her feel even _more_ nervous.

Natalie's eyes widened as she saw a wide ledge suddenly appear in the cliff in front of her, and under that ledge was another cave.

But _this_ cave had a golden glow coming from it. It looked warm and cozy.

 _Now this is more like it!_ Natalie headed towards the lit cave. _Jack? Annie? Are you in there?_ She called in her mammoth voice.

There was no reply, but as Natalie studied the cave, she spotted a set of footprints leading into it.

Being as quiet as she could, Natalie listened as hard as she could.

"Ta da!" Natalie heard Annie's voice from inside the cave and sighed with relief. Her cousins were okay!

"We look like cave kids!" Said Annie.

 _This must be the Cro-Magnon family's cave_. Natalie thought. She glanced around, but didn't see any sign of them. She hoped that they didn't mind Jack and Annie intruding in their home.

" _PRRRRRRIIIIIIIP!"_ Natalie's head jerked up as she heard trumpeting. _That sounded like another mammoth,_ She thought.

" _PRRRRRRIIIIIIIP!"_ The trumpeting came again. Whoever was making it sounded terrified.

 _I'd better go see what's going on_ , Natalie thought, walking towards the noise. She prayed that Jack and Annie would stay in the cave until she got back.

" _PRRRRRRRIIIIIIPPPP!"_ The trumpeting seemed to get even higher pitched, and Natalie thought she could hear the sound of splashing.

 _Oh no!_ _That doesn't sound good!_ Natalie moved faster, thundering along the cliff base, until she came to the end of it.

Natalie headed around a bend in the cliff.

Natalie gasped. In front of her was what looked like a frozen pond, but the ice was broken.

 _In the center of the broken ice was a baby mammoth!_

 _How did he get in there?_ Natalie wondered as she watched the baby struggle to climb out of the pond, but he couldn't. He was trapped!

" _Help me!_ " The mammoth trumpeted. _"Help me!"_

 _Poor little guy!_ Natalie thought sadly as she stepped out from behind the rocks. The baby's front legs were slipping on the ice, the rear half of his body was already under the frozen water. He looked really scared.

The baby suddenly noticed her. " _Help me! Help me please!"_ He called, turning towards her.

" _Little one, are you okay_?" She called out in mammoth.

" _I can't get out!"_ The baby squealed. _"Help me, please!"_

" _Okay, stay calm! I'm coming!"_ Natalie called, walking towards the struggling baby.

 _Hurry please! Get me out of here!_ The mammoth wailed.

 _How do I get him out?_ Natalie wondered. She looked around. _Wait-_ Natalie suddenly remembered something she had seen in a book. _What was it?_

An image flashed through Natalie's head, of an elephant lifting a car with its tusks.

Natalie studied the panicked baby before her. He didn't look much bigger than a car. _Maybe I can lift him out_ , she though.

Stepping carefully on the frozen ground, Natalie approached the struggling baby.

 _Help me!"_ He cried out.

" _Yes, I'm going help you, but you need to calm down!"_ Natalie told him. _"I'm going to try to pull you out!"_

" _Please hurry!"_ said the baby. He stopped struggling and looked up at her with fearful eyes.

Natalie got as close as she could, and reached out with her trunk, wrapping as much of it as she could around the baby's shaggy shoulders and began to pull the baby towards her.

Natalie felt her front feet begin to slip forwards. The ground around the pond's edge was _really_ slippery. She braced herself with her back legs.

 _Stay calm!_ Natalie told herself as she pulled the baby as close as she could. Reaching down until her large tusks were underneath the baby, she began to lift.

 _Come on!_ _Come on!_ She grunted. The baby was heavier than Natalie expected, Natalie felt like her tusks were being pulled out of her mouth, but she refused to give up.

 _One more time!_ _One! Two! Three!_ _Yes!_ Natalie gasped as she pulled the baby mammoth clear of the icy water. Slipping a little, Natalie stepped back until they were safely away from the pond.

Sighing with relief, Natalie pulled her trunk away from the baby. " _You're safe now, little one"_ She said to the baby.

Natalie felt the baby nuzzle her leg. " _Oh, thank you mommy!"_ He said. " _Thank you!"_

 _What did he call me?_ Natalie chuckled. _"Little one, I'm not your mommy"_ She said, looking down at him.

The baby mammoth stepped back and looked at her. He was smaller than Natalie thought, probably only about an inch or so taller than Natalie was in human form. His fur was lighter brown than hers, and right now most of it was slicked against his body by the water.

The baby's eyes widened. _"You're right! You're not my mommy!"_ The baby turned away and began looking around. " _Where is she? Where's my mommy?"_ He cried.

" _Woah there! Calm down!"_ Natalie wrapped her trunk around the little baby. " _You can't go looking for her by yourself"_

The baby turned back to her. " _Will you help me find my mommy?"_ He pleaded.

Natalie felt torn. She felt like she had left Jack and Annie for far too long, but she knew this baby would never survive out here on his own.

" _Sure, I'll help you find her"_ She finally said, stroking the baby's head with her trunk. _His mom must be around here somewhere_ , she said to herself, _and Jack and Annie have no reason to leave the cave._

"YAY!" The baby mammoth happily trumpeted and rubbed his head against Natalie's leg.

Natalie giggled at the baby's antics. _"Can you tell me where you last saw your mommy?"_ she asked

The baby looked up at her. " _I don't know"_ He said.

Natalie thought for a moment. " _Okay, can you tell me what your mommy was doing when you last saw her?"_

" _She was eating grass, along with the others"_ said the baby. _"I wanted to play, but she was too busy"_

" _And what did you do then?"_ asked Natalie

" _I saw something fuzzy go behind the rocks, I wanted to see what it was, so I went behind the rocks, but all of a sudden I slipped and slid! Then I heard a big crack and I fell into the water!"_ The baby pressed close to Natalie. He was shivering.

" _There, there"_ As Natalie soothed the baby, her mind whirred. _It doesn't sound like the baby's family is too far away. I didn't pass any mammoths, so he must have come from the opposite direction._

Natalie looked up towards a cluster of large rocks that extended farther out from the cliff.

" _PAAARRRRPPP_!" A loud trumpeting suddenly filled the air.

The baby perked up. _"That sounds like my mommy!"_ he cried.

Natalie smiled. It did sound like a mammoth, a very unhappy mammoth. _"Well come on, let's go find her!"_ She said.

" _YAY!"_ The baby cheered as Natalie began heading towards the cluster of rocks.

As she walked, Natalie glanced down to see the baby moving alongside her, keeping pace easily, though it took three of his steps to match every one of hers.

 _Cute little guy!_ Natalie thought. _He's lucky I was there to help him. I wonder what it was he saw!_

Natalie suddenly remembered a fuzzy shape darting behind rocks near the base of the cliff where she had been searching for Jack and Annie. Natalie shook her head. It couldn't have been the same thing!

 _Or could it?_ Natalie suddenly remembered something she had read about Cro-Magnon, how they often hunted by luring or driving animals into traps.

 _But why would a Cro-Magnon go after a baby mammoth?_ Natalie wondered. She thought that they would have more likely gone after an adult mammoth; it would have been more food for them.

Natalie suddenly froze as she spotted tracks in the snow in front of them. They weren't human tracks. They had big pads, like the tracks her dogs had made in the snow in winter.

Natalie's eyes narrowed. No, they couldn't be dog tracks, there were no claw impressions. She knew dog nails couldn't retract, but cat's claws could.

Natalie shivered. _If those are cat tracks, I don't wanna meet the cat that made them!_

" _What are you looking at?"_ The baby asked. He glanced down at the tracks. _"Hey! I was following these tracks right before I fell into the water!"_

Natalie shook her head. _"You should never follow tracks like these, little one"_ She said, taking the baby's trunk in her own. _"They will only lead you to trouble, understand?"_

" _Yes, I understand"_ The baby said as Natalie led him onwards, stepping on the tracks as she did so.

As they rounded the cluster of rocks, Natalie saw a small herd of mammoth nearby. They were trumpeting anxiously, and several were wandering in different directions. None of them were looking this way.

" _Are any of these mammoths your mommy?"_ Natalie looked down at the baby.

The little mammoth looked hard at the adults. _"I think this is my mommy's herd"_ He said, but he didn't sound sure. _"But I don't see my mommy with them"_

" _Maybe your mommy's out looking for you. Let's go ask them"_ said Natalie. Secretly she felt nervous as she walked across the field towards them, the baby at her side, she was worried the mammoth might think she was stealing the baby.

The closer Natalie got to the mammoth herd, the more nervous Natalie became. These mammoths were big, several of them were bigger than Natalie.

Gathering her courage, she called out to them. _"Excuse me?"_

Many of the mammoths looked her way. Natalie stepped back so they could see the little mammoth " _Are any of you missing a baby?"_ She asked

" _MY BABY!"_ A large mammoth suddenly pushed her way through the others.

" _MOMMY!"_ The baby cried out and ran towards the big mammoth.

" _BABY!"_ Natalie's heart melted as she watched the mother wrap her trunk around her baby. _"My baby!"_

" _Mommy! Mommy!"_ The baby cried, rubbing up against his mother.

Most of the other mammoths gathered around the reunited mother and baby, rumbling and reaching out with their trunks, but the biggest mammoth stepped around the group and approached Natalie.

Natalie felt cowed as the mammoth came up to her. She was at least two feet taller than Natalie was and her tusks were long and curved. Looking into its wise eyes, Natalie suddenly felt stripped of her mammoth disguise. She held her breath, expecting the mammoth to yell at her, but all she heard was. _"Thank you for finding my sister's baby. We have been looking for him everywhere"_

" _You're welcome_ " Natalie sighed with relief, the mammoth didn't sound angry at all.

" _I have not seen you before"_ The mammoth said, looking at Natalie. " _Are you from another herd?"_

"Um…" Natalie thought for a moment, and decided to play along. " _Yes, my herd is on the other side of the cliffs."_ Natalie pointed towards the cliff with her trunk.

The mammoth didn't say anything, but she tilted her head as she gazed at Natalie.

" _Come"_ She finally beckoned with her trunk. _"My sister will want to know what happened"_ She turned and began to walk back to the herd.

Natalie hesitated, then followed.

" _Sister"_ The elderly mammoth called as they approached the mother, who was still talking with her baby.

The mother looked up. Natalie could swear there were tears in her eyes.

" _This is the one who saved your baby"_ The elder motioned to Natalie with her trunk.

The mother stepped forward slowly and reached her trunk out to Natalie. _"Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my son!"_

" _You are very welcome"_ Natalie replied, clasping the mammoth's trunk with her own.

" _Where did you find him?"_ One of the other mammoths asked.

" _Over there"_ Natalie pointed towards the rocks with her trunk. _"He had fallen into a frozen pond and I pulled him out"_

The mammoths glanced in the direction of the pond. _"I remember a pond being there. I thought it had dried out long ago"_ The elder mammoth said, looking down at the baby. " _You are very fortunate, little one ,that this kind stranger found you before something else did. Many hunters used to come to that pond to drink"_

" _Have you been here before?"_ Natalie asked. She knew that mammoths were mostly nomadic.

The elder mammoth looked at her. " _Yes, many times"_ She said. _"I have led my herd by these cliffs for fifty seasons, just as my mother did before me"_

Natalie felt her eyes widen in awe. This mammoth was over fifty years old! Natalie was impressed. No wonder she was so big!

" _What were you thinking?"_ The mother scolded, looking down at her baby. _"Why did you wander off? I was so worried when I saw that you were gone!"_

The baby looked ashamed. " _I'm sorry mommy, but I wanted to play, and there was no one to play with."_

" _That doesn't mean you can just wander off on your own!"_ His mother patted him with her trunk. _"You have to learn that there are times to play, and other times not to play"_

" _Yes mommy, I'm sorry"_ The baby's trunk drooped.

" _He told me that he was following some tracks when he fell into the water"_ Natalie spoke up. _"I think they were cat tracks"_

At the mention of 'cat', the mammoths shifted and looked at each other. Natalie could feel sudden tension between them.

" _You don't think…?"_ The mother mammoth looked anxiously at her sister. The elder mammoth's face was expressionless. She just stared at the cliffs.

The baby looked up at Natalie. " _Will you stay with us?"_ he asked.

Natalie opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. Part of her wanted to stay. She wanted to play with the baby, she wanted to talk to the elder mammoth some more, but she knew she had to get back to Jack and Annie.

" _I wish I could"_ She said sadly _"But I should get back to my own herd now"_

" _Awww!"_ The baby groaned. The other mammoths looked disappointed too.

" _At least eat with us for a while"_ One of them suggested. " _We've found a lot of grass here_ " To prove her point, she dragged her long tusks across the ground, scattering the snow and revealing green blades of grass.

Natalie suddenly realized how hungry she was, and that grass suddenly looked very tempting.

 _Wait! What am I thinking?_ Natalie shook her head. _I'm a human, humans don't eat grass!_

" _I'm sorry"_ She said to the mammoths _"But I really should get back._ "

The elder mammoth rubbed her trunk along Natalie's. Her touch gave Natalie goose bumps. _"We understand"_ She said wisely. _"Go, and find your family. But beware, there are many dangers here for a lone mammoth"_

" _Yes I know about the cro…_ " Natalie caught herself. " _I mean, I know about the men that live here"_

" _True, man is a danger, but he is not the biggest one"_ said the mammoth.

" _He isn't?"_ Natalie asked.

" _No, the biggest danger is the big cat"_ said the elder mammoth.

" _Yes, we've seen him kill mammoths before"_ Another mammoth spoke up. They all looked worried.

" _And this time of the year is when his hunger is greatest"_ Said the elder mammoth. _"If he sees you alone, you will not escape him._ "

Now Natalie _really_ felt worried. She remembered the large paw prints she had seen in the snow, and how nervous the other mammoths had acted when she had told them about the prints.

Natalie knew that the Ice Ace was home to big cat predators, cave lions and saber-toothed tigers. One of them must have made the tracks. Natalie shivered. She didn't want to meet one of _them_ out here alone.

The elder mammoth must have sensed Natalie's unease, because she reached for Natalie with her trunk. _"You are welcome to stay with us, if you wish_. _We would gladly welcome you into our herd"_

The other mammoths all agreed eagerly. The baby Natalie saved left his mother's side and touched his trunk to hers.

" _Please stay_ " He begged, looking up at her.

Natalie looked into the baby's eyes and, for a moment, she really wanted to say yes, but she had a mission to complete, and plus, she knew she would miss Jack and Annie is she stayed.

" _I'm sorry little one"_ She said sadly, gently pushing the baby's trunk away. _"But I need to go now. Just…promise me you'll stay close to your mother, okay?"_

The mammoth looked sad, but he rubbed his trunk against hers. _"I promise"_ He said.

Natalie turned away from the mammoth herd, back towards the cliffs.

" _Good luck!"_ She heard the elderly mammoth call after her, _"And beware of the big cat!"_

"GOOD LUCK!" The rest of the mammoths called.

" _Good bye!"_ Natalie heard the baby call, and she stifled a sob.

" _Good bye!"_ She called back as she walked away from the mammoth herd.

She heard the mammoths trumpet after her. She didn't know what they were saying. She was too sad to care.

Natalie's heart ached as she walked back around the cliff towards the Cro-Magnon's cave.

She thought of the baby mammoth, she could still feel him against her, the feeling was so real she had to check to make sure he hadn't followed her. Not seeing him there made Natalie feel even sadder.

This wasn't the first time Natalie had been tempted to stay in the past. She thought back to her time in Japan, and how she had wanted to stay with the ninja clan.

 _Who knew that being a guardian could be so hard?_ Natalie thought, and she felt her ears droop.

Soon, Natalie saw the cave with the golden light from it. She headed towards it, but then she stopped. Something was different.

There were a lot more footprints in the snow in front of the cave than there had been earlier.

 _The Cro-Magnon_ _family must have come back_! Natalie gasped. She looked around, but saw no sign of them.

She looked down at the ground again, and saw that two sets of tracks looked different than the others. Carefully, Natalie knelt down, like she had seen circus elephants do, to get a closer look at them.

" _Those are sneaker prints!"_ She gasped. Next to them, barely visible in the snow, were a set of tiny tracks that looked like they belonged to a mouse.

 _Morgan left the cave, and Jack and Annie must have followed her!_ Natalie thought as she shuffled back onto her feet.

Natalie started to follow the tracks, but then paused as she heard a voice behind her. _"Jack? Annie? Is that you?"_ she called, spinning back towards the cave.

Standing in the mouth of the cave were two people wearing hooded coats made of animal skins. They wore furry boots and pants. And they carried long spears with sharp stone points.

 _Uh oh!_ Natalie's eyes widened. It wasn't Jack _or_ Annie.

 _They were Cro-Magnon hunters!_

" _Oh no!"_ Natalie groaned as she took a few steps backwards. The hunters bent low and began to stalk through the snow towards her, clutching their spears.

" _No! Stay back!"_ Natalie cried out, taking another step back.

One of the hunters growled and jabbed at Natalie with his spear.

" _Keep away! I'm not really a mammoth!"_ Natalie wailed, waving her trunk at them.

The hunters only jabbed at her again. _Idiot! They can't understand you!_ Natalie said to herself.

The two hunters suddenly charged at Natalie at the same time. " _No! Keep back!_ " Natalie cried, rearing up on her back legs. She trumpeted loudly and waved her tusks in an effort to scare the hunters off.

It didn't work. One hunter kept jabbing at her with his spear while the other turned and called out towards the cave.

Natalie looked up to see shadows suddenly dancing on the walls, and two more people stepped out. They were young and really short, probably not much taller than Natalie's human form. They both wore hooded coats, like the adults.

Natalie's eyes widened. Both the kids were carrying flaming sticks!

When they saw Natalie, both the children instantly charged towards her.

" _Yikes!"_ Natalie flinched as one of the kids waved his torch in her face. Ever since the accident, Natalie had not liked fire.

"KEEP AWAY!" She screamed, rearing up on her hind legs again. She saw one of the men jab his spear at her belly and blocked it with her tusks. She took a few more steps backwards.

 _I have to get out of here!_ Natalie turned to run towards the plains, only to find the smallest child blocking her, waving a torch at her. Natalie felt the heat of the fire and shied backwards, crying out in fear.

Shouting and whooping, the four Cro-Magnon drove Natalie back, waving their torches and jabbing with their spears. Looking up, Natalie saw the ledge over their cave recede into the distance.

" _Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"_ She yelled, _"I'm sorry I bothered you, just leave me alone!"_

But the Cro-Magnon didn't leave her alone. Natalie's blood ran cold as she caught one of them licking his lips as he stared at her.

Natalie realized that the hunters weren't chasing her away, _they were hunting her!_

"HELP!" Natalie cried out as loud as she could. " _HELP ME!"_ But no one came.

The Cro-Magnon family yelled and waved their spears and flaming sticks, pushing Natalie farther and farther back.

Suddenly, Natalie heard a _crack!_

The ground below her suddenly gave way and Natalie gasped as she felt cold water swarm around her legs.

She had forgotten about the frozen pond that the baby mammoth had fallen into. Now _she_ had fallen into it!

" _Oh no!"_ Natalie cried out as the Cro-Magnon family yelled in triumph and moved to surround her.

" _I have to get out of here!"_ Natalie struggled to pull herself out of the water, but just like with the baby, she couldn't. Her front feet kept slipping on the ice and the back half of her body was completely submerged.

 _It's no use!_ Natalie shut her eyes as the Cro-Magnons closed in, waiting for it to end. _It's over!_

She heard the wind howling in her ears, but she also heard something else. Music, strange haunting music that seemed to be carried by the wind.

The Cro-Magnons had fallen silent, Natalie waited for the sharp jabbing of their spears, but it never came. She opened her eyes.

The Cro-Magnons were staring at a figure walking towards them from the plains. It looked like a human, but it had reindeer antlers and what looked like an owl face. It was playing a flute.

Natalie suddenly remembered what Merlin had said. _"The sorcerer!"_ She gasped.

One moment, the sorcerer seemed to be far away, the next moment he appeared to be right in front of them. The Cro-Magnon family backed away as he approached.

The sorcerer stopped playing his flute, he stared at Natalie through the eyeholes in his mask.

" _Help me, please!"_ Natalie begged, reaching out towards him with her trunk.

The sorcerer turned to the biggest Cro-Magnon and said a single word. "Leave!"

The Cro-Magnon frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but the sorcerer sternly pointed back towards the caves.

"Leave!" He said again. His voice was rich and deep and sounded like a growl. The Cro-Magnon seemed to shiver. He looked from the sorcerer to Natalie.

Finally, he bowed his head to the sorcerer and shouted something. Turning, he began trudging back through the snow towards the caves and the rest of his family followed. The children stared in awe at the sorcerer as they passed him.

The sorcerer stared back at them. He kept staring at the family until they disappeared behind some rocks.

Natalie breathed a big sigh of relief. _"Thank you"_ she said.

The sorcerer turned to look at her. "Come" He said, beckoning with his hand.

" _I can't"_ said Natalie _"I'm stuck"_ She tried again to pull herself out of the pond, but she couldn't.

The sorcerer shook his antlered head. "Come" He said again, beckoning with his hand.

Natalie was puzzled. What was the sorcerer saying? She couldn't just climb out of the pond! She had just proven that!

Regardless, she tried again, straining to pull her massive body out of the icy water. To her surprise, her feet didn't slip like they had before. She pulled once, twice, three times, and finally heaved herself out of the icy water and scrambled back to the shore.

Natalie stood there for a moment, gathering her breath. She was exhausted; all the energy she had felt while she was being chased and trapped seemed to drain out of her like water out of a sponge.

She felt a hand on her trunk and turned to see the Sorcerer staring up at her.

" _Thank you"_ She said.

 _Squeak!_

Natalie's eyes widened as a tiny figure appeared on the sorcerer's shoulder, a brown and white mouse.

" _Morgan?"_ Natalie asked

The mouse stiffened. _"N, is that you?"_ Natalie heard Morgan's voice in her mind.

" _Yes! But what are you doing here? Where are Jack and Annie?_ " Natalie glanced around, but didn't see her cousins anywhere.

" _In trouble"_ Morgan replied.

Now Natalie stiffened. _"What? Where?"_

" _They are trapped in a hole"_ Morgan replied. _"I left to find my friend and they followed me, but fell into a hunting trap"_

" _Then we need to get them out"_ said Natalie.

A suddenly yowling made Natalie look up. _What was that?_ She wondered. Whatever it was, it was too close for Natalie's comfort.

The sorcerer suddenly reached up and tapped Natalie's trunk. Natalie looked at him.

"Kneel" He said.

Natalie looked at Morgan.

" _Listen to him"_ Morgan said, and Natalie could swear she saw the mouse smile. " _Trust me"_

" _Right"_ Natalie knelt down, and she felt the sorcerer climb up onto her neck and settle on the dip between her head and her back.

Natalie slowly rose to her feet. The sorcerer did not weigh very much.

"Go" He said, and Natalie could feel him gently turning her head out towards the plains. She could see the tall trees that held the tree house in the distance.

" _The hole is straight ahead of you"_ Morgan called.

" _Okay"_ Natalie started walking away from the cliff in the direction Morgan indicated.

As she walked, she heard a sudden rumbling noise and something stepped into Natalie's path from behind a rock.

Natalie stopped, it was a giant deer, twice the size of a modern deer, with humongous antlers; each was as long as her father had been tall.

Natalie wasn't sure what to do. She raised her trunk and called out " _Excuse me, can you let me pass?_ "

The deer looked at her and snorted. He didn't move.

Natalie opened her mouth to try again when she suddenly heard music coming from behind her ears. The sorcerer must have started playing his flute.

The music felt strange, like it was from another world, yet it felt eerily familiar, like a tune Natalie had heard a long time ago and had forgotten about.

The music filled Natalie with a sense of peace, and comfort. She glanced up at the deer, he stared at the sorcerer, then moved out of Natalie's way.

" _Thanks"_ She said softly to the deer and started walking again.

The deer snorted and dipped his head at her.

The sorcerer kept playing his flute as Natalie walked. She felt the music flow through her, bouncing around inside her head.

 _It's so…so…beautiful_ , Natalie sighed. She didn't feel tired anymore. She didn't feel scared. Even the cold from the icy water seemed to be gone, it was like the music had washed everything away, leaving her feeling happy, content, and peaceful.

The music suddenly ended. Natalie blinked. _What-what happened?_ She felt like she had just woken up.

"Stop" A voice spoke out.

" _We're here"_ Morgan added.

Natalie came to a stop and glanced around. Nearby was a large hole. It was surrounded by broken branches.

 _This must be the trap Morgan was talking about_. Natalie thought. She knelt down to allow the sorcerer and Morgan to climb off. The sorcerer paused and untied something from around his waist, a long rope.

Natalie stretched her head forward and the sorcerer tied one end around Natalie's neck. Holding the other end, the sorcerer and Morgan approached the big hole.

"AAAHH!" A voice cried out from inside the pit.

Natalie's heart leapt. That was _Annie's_ voice!

 _Squeak!_ Morgan squeaked, staring down into the pit from between the sorcerer's legs.

"Help us, please!" Annie called from the pit.

Natalie saw the sorcerer throw the other end of the rope down into the pit. Then he turned and walked over to Natalie.

"Pull" He said, pointing to the rope.

" _Got it"_ Natalie said. At that moment, Natalie felt a tug on the rope. She grabbed it with the end of her trunk and started to pull.

She pulled and pulled and pulled, moving backwards as she pulled.

She kept pulling until she saw a blonde head appear over the edge of the pit.

 _Annie!_ Natalie watched as the sorcerer pulled Annie out of the pit.

"Thanks" Annie said, smiling up at the sorcerer.

The sorcerer didn't answer, but he turned to Natalie and beckoned her closer.

Annie turned her head and spotted Natalie. She looked surprised, then she grinned. "Oh wow!" She cried out, rushing over to Natalie. "Hello"

" _Hi Annie"_ Natalie reached out to Annie with her trunk, and then knelt down so Annie could climb onto her back.

Annie squealed with delight and scrambled up onto Natalie's back. As Natalie rose to her feet, she saw the sorcerer throw the rope back into the pit. There was a tug on the rope. Natalie grabbed it with her trunk and started walking backwards again, pulling the rope as she went.

Eventually, Jack's face appeared at the top. The sorcerer pulled him out onto the snowy ground.

"Thanks" said Jack. For a moment, he and the sorcerer stared at each other.

"Hey Jack! Look at me!" Annie called.

Jack turned and saw Natalie. His jaw dropped.

" _Hi Jack!"_ Natalie called, waving her trunk at him.

 _Squeak!_ Morgan called from on top of Natalie's head. Natalie hadn't known she was there.

"Annie! What are you doing up there?" Jack gasped.

"Lulu pulled us up, and then she let me ride on her" said Annie.

"Lulu?" said Jack, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you think she looks like a Lulu?" Annie asked.

" _I think I look more like a mammoth, actually"_ Natalie joked. She heard Morgan chuckle.

Jack rolled his eyes as he walked up to them. Natalie reached out to him with his trunk. " _Hi Jack"_ Natalie rumbled.

"Hey!" Annie suddenly said. "Mammoth starts with M, right? Maybe Lulu's the special thing we need to find!"

"I don't think so" said Jack

 _Yeah, I don't think I'd be able to fit into your tree house like this_ , Natalie thought.

" _True"_ She heard Morgan agree. " _But that doesn't mean Annie is wrong"_

The sorcerer motioned for Natalie to kneel and she did

"Woah!" She heard Annie cry out and felt the girl grab her big ears to keep from falling off.

 _Sorry!_ Natalie held still as the sorcerer helped Jack climb onto her back.

"Thanks" Jack said.

Then the sorcerer reached into a furry pouch that hung around his waist. Natalie saw him pull something out of it and hand it to Jack, but she couldn't see what it was.

"Oh man, I think it's his flute" Jack said. "The book said they made flutes from mammoth bones"

 _Mammoth bones?_ Natalie felt a shudder pass through her. She let out a moan.

"Shh! You'll upset Lulu!" Annie scolded. Natalie felt her cousin pat her on the head.

 _No, it's okay_. Natalie curled her trunk up over her head so Annie could pat it.

"Nice" Jack said, and Natalie could feel Jack lean sideways, like he was trying to give it back to the sorcerer.

She saw the sorcerer step backwards, he held up his hand.

"I think he wants you to keep the mammoth bone, Jack" said Annie.

"Mammoth bone" Natalie heard Jack whisper. "Hey, maybe _this_ is the third thing"

Annie gasped. "Hey, maybe you're right!"

"Do you know Morgan?" Jack asked the sorcerer.

The sorcerer didn't answer, but Natalie saw his eyes twinkle.

" _ **Does**_ _he know you, Morgan?"_ Natalie asked.

" _We have met_ " Morgan said simply.

Natalie giggled as the sorcerer untied the rope around Natalie's neck. Then he leaned in close to Natalie's ear and whispered "Take them home"

 _Okay_ , Natalie slowly and carefully got to her feet. She could feet her cousins shifting around on her back, but they didn't fall off.

" _Thanks, for everything!_ " Natalie called out to the sorcerer. He didn't answer, but Natalie could see kindness in his piercing eyes.

Natalie turned away from the sorcerer and began walking towards the tree house. Her steps were slow at first, as she wanted to keep her cousins from falling off, but gradually she picked up speed.

"Where are we going?" She heard Jack ask

"To the tree house!" said Annie

"But how does he know where it is?" said Jack

" _She_ just knows" Said Annie. "I can feel it"

"Oh brother" Natalie chuckled at Jack's comment and reached her trunk up for Annie to hold.

Suddenly, the gray clouds parted and the sun came out.

Natalie squinted as sunlight off the snow blinded her. She shook her head to clear her vision.

"Hey, it's okay" said Annie. Natalie felt her cousin hold the tip of her trunk in both her hands.

The bright light suddenly seemed to clear and Natalie saw the trees in the distance. She could just make out the tree house amongst them.

She walked towards them across the open white plain.

"Look! Deer!" Annie suddenly cried out.

At that moment, Natalie also heard a deep grunt. She looked to her left. The deer she had seen earlier was walking nearby, with a group of female deer, the same size as the boy, but with no big antlers.

" _Hi!"_ Natalie called to them. The male deer glanced at her and snorted. He dipped his head towards her.

"And look there!" Jack suddenly said. Natalie looked to her right and saw a herd of reindeer come into view. As she watched, they pranced gracefully across the snow.

Then a large creature with a long horn on its face came into view. A wooly rhino! He snorted as he squinted at Natalie.

On the other side, Natalie saw the herd of deer be joined by a herd of bison. They were lowing and tearing up the snow with their hooves.

"PRRRRIIIIPPP" Natalie froze as she heard a familiar call from behind them.

She slowly turned around.

Three mammoths, two big, and one little, were walking towards her. It was the baby she had saved, his mother, and the elderly mammoth!

"Aw, how cute!" Annie squealed

" _Hi again!"_ The baby cried out, walking right up to Natalie.

" _Hello little one!"_ Natalie happily touched trunks with the baby mammoth. _"What are you doing here?"_

" _We heard you call for help!"_ The baby answered.

" _But the animal man got to you before we could"_ his mother added.

" _But we just wanted to make sure you were okay"_ The elder mammoth finished.

Natalie was touched that the mammoths cared about her that much. _"You did not have to do that"_

" _We know"_ The elder mammoth said, rubbing Natalie's trunk with her own. _"But we wanted to"_

" _Thank you"_ said Natalie.

" _Thank you, for saving my baby"_ The mother said, rubbing Natalie with _her_ trunk.

" _Why are there two man-cubs on your back?"_ The baby asked.

Natalie chuckled. " _Believe it or not, little one, they are part of my herd"_ she said

The baby mammoth's eyes widened. " _They ARE?"_ He gasped.

His mother looked surprised too. _"I do not understand"_ she said.

Only the elder mammoth's face looked unchanged. _"I do not think we are meant to understand, sister"_ She said.

Natalie looked at the elder mammoth. he could have sworn she saw amusement in the big mammoth's eyes. " _You don't seem very surprised"_ Natalie said to her.

The elder mammoth flapped her ears. _"When you have lived as long as I have, you see many things"_ She said " _And you learn not to question what you see"_

" _That's deep"_ Natalie said, dipping her head a little to the older mammoth. " _You are very wise"_

" _You are too kind"_ The elder mammoth replied.

" _So, now that you have found your herd, where will you go now?"_ The mother asked.

" _Not far"_ Natalie said. " _Just to those trees over there"_ She pointed to the tree house with her trunk.

" _Then we will go with you, as far as the trees"_ The mother mammoth said.

" _You don't have to do that"_ said Natalie. She was certain the mammoths had better things to do.

" _We know"_ The baby said, _"but we want to"_

" _Lead on, friend"_ The elder mammoth said.

Natalie looked at the three mammoths for a moment, then turned and began walking towards the tree house.

She could feel the baby mammoth's trunk rub against her own as he kept pace with her, and she heard the two adults fall into step behind her.

In the distance, to both sides, she saw the giant elk, the reindeer, the rhino, and the bison all start moving in the same direction.

It was like they were also escorting Natalie, Jack and Annie back to the tree house.

The snow sparkled with sunlight, the wind had died down. Everything looked so peaceful.

Natalie wondered if this was the sorcerer's doing. This was definitely a magical moment.

"It's like a…great parade" She head Jack say, his voice was light "It's fantastic"

"I told you" Annie said smugly. "Lulu's taking us home"

" _Yeah"_ Natalie rumbled, waving her trunk in the air. _"Let's go home"_

They were getting closer and closer to the tree house. Natalie felt her heart lighten. Soon they would be getting out of here.

Suddenly, a loud roar pierced the air. The other animals all bounded off.

The baby yelped with fear and rushed back to his mother. " _What was that?"_

" _The big cat!"_ The elder mammoth cried out.

" _He has come for us!"_ The mother groaned.

Natalie slowly turned around. What she saw made her heart stop.

Slinking towards them across the sunlit snow was the biggest cat she had ever seen. It was as big as a tiger, and it had long fangs curving down from its mouth.

 _A sabertooth!_ Natalie gasped, taking a step backwards.

The big cat growled. The baby mammoth wailed and hid behind his mother.

" _Leave us be!"_ The elder mammoth roared.

" _Go away!"_ The mother mammoth cried.

The cat didn't listen, he growled again. His large teeth gleamed in the sunlight, he glared at Natalie.

" _What do we do?"_ The baby cried out.

" _We need to separate"_ Natalie said, " _He cannot chase all of us. You take the baby and get out of here"_

" _But what about you?"_ The mother rumbled nervously.

" _I can give you a chance if I give that cat something to hunt"_ Natalie said.

" _WHAT?"_ All three mammoths looked startled.

" _Trust me. Just take the baby and run!"_ Roaring, Natalie suddenly whirled and began to run towards the tree house.

"Ahhhh!" Jack and Annie screamed as Natalie thundered across the plain. She hoped that her cousins didn't fall off.

She felt hands, both human and mouse, grip onto her shaggy coat.

She heard a roar behind her.

"He's chasing us!" Jack yelled.

Natalie's plan had worked, but now that the sabertooth was after her, she suddenly wondered if it had been such a good idea.

 _I just have to get Jack and Annie to the tree house_. She said to herself as she charged to the grove of trees that held the tree house. _Once they make the wish, we can all get out of here!_

A roar sounded behind Natalie,

A _second roar_ answered the first, from _in front_ of Natalie

" _Oh no!"_ Natalie slid to a stop as a second sabertooth appeared out of nowhere. It was smaller than the first, but it also had full sized saber teeth, and it stood between Natalie and the tallest tree in the grove.

"Yikes!" Annie cried "Two of them!"

Natalie whipped her head around as the first sabertooth caught up with them.

There was nowhere to go. They were trapped!

The first sabertooth panted, but he snarled when Natalie glanced at him.

The second sabertooth began to slowly stalk towards Natalie.

" _GET BACK!"_ Natalie roared fiercely.

But the second sabertooth just growled at her. Both tigers lunged forwards at the same time. Natalie roared and reared back on her hind legs.

"WOAH!" Jack and Annie yelled, and Natalie could feel them shifting on her neck.

The sabertooth cats were now next to each other, driving Natalie towards the cliff behind her. Their large heads were down, their eye gleamed with hunger. Their large saber teeth flashed in the sunlight.

Both sabertooth cats crept forward, snarling.

Natalie roared angrily and tore up the snowy ground with her tusks. She flapped her ears and stomped the ground with her big feet, trying to make the cats leave.

It didn't work. The sabertooth cats kept coming.

"Jack, play the flute" Annie said suddenly.

"Huh?" said Jack. "Are you nuts?"

" _How is that going to help?"_ Natalie wondered.

"Just try!" said Annie.

Natalie heard a strange noise, like a loud squeak.

A strange feeling came over her for a second. Both cats froze.

The noise stopped.

The bigger sabertooth snarled, it took a step forward.

" _STAY AWAY!"_ Natalie roared, rearing and stomped on the ground.

"Play it!" said Annie. "Keep playing Jack!"

The strange noise started again, it sounded like flute music.

Natalie suddenly felt calm, like all her fear was drowned out by the music. She dropped her head and just stood still.

The cats had frozen again. They stared at Jack and Annie.

The music stopped. Both sabertooth cats snarled.

"They're still here" Annie whispered. "Keep playing"

Jack started playing the flute again. He blew and blew without pausing for a breath.

The music seemed to echo in Natalie's mind, she forgot about the sabertooth cats, she forgot about Jack and Annie, she even forgot that she was a mammoth. The music was so relaxing, so soothing.

"They're leaving" Annie suddenly said.

 _Huh? What?_ Natalie blinked and everything seemed to come back to her.

Looking up, Natalie saw the sabertooth cats slinking towards the cliffs. One paused and looked back at them, but then it huffed and chased after the other one.

"We did it!" Annie said.

" _Yes we did!_ " Natalie rumbled, waving her trunk happily.

"To the tree house, Lulu!" Annie ordered

Natalie snorted. _Right away!_ She was eager to leave now. She walked over to the tallest tree, stopping right beneath the tree house.

She felt Jack lean over and grab the rope ladder.

Annie stroked Natalie's ear. "Bye Lulu. Thank you" She said, before scrambling up the ladder.

" _Thank You N."_ Morgan said. " _Once again, you have saved us"_ The mouse started climbing up the ladder.

Jack didn't say anything as he climbed off of Natalie and onto the ladder, but then he paused and smiled at Natalie. "Bye girl. Go home now" He said. "And watch out for those sabertooths"

" _Don't worry"_ Natalie rumbled, gently touching Jack's face with her trunk. _"I already am home"_ With that, Natalie turned away and slowly walked to the edge of the grove.

Stopping behind the trees, Natalie turned to watch Jack climb up into the tree house. A few seconds later, she saw the kid's reindeer skin coats fall down to the ground.

 _Any moment now_ , Natalie thought. She stepped out and took one last look at this prehistoric world.

The sun was setting in the distance. In the fading light, Natalie saw a group of figures crossing the nearby plains.

Natalie's heart skipped a beat, it was the Cro-Magnon family. She shivered, remembering the hungry look in their eyes.

"Hey!" Annie suddenly called from the tree house.

"Shhh!" Jack hissed.

 _What is she doing?_ Natalie gasped as she saw Annie leaning out the window.

Looking back out, Natalie saw the Cro-Magnon family had stopped and were looking in their direction.

"We left your reindeer skins! Down there!" Annie pointed to the skins lying on the ground.

Natalie looked back and saw one of the taller Cro-Magnon step forwards. He raised his spear, like he was going to throw it.

At the same time, a trumpeting sound made Natalie look away. She saw the three mammoths watching her from the plains.

The wind started to blow.

" _Goodbye!"_ Natalie trumpeted, waving her trunk at the mammoths.

The three mammoths trumpeted and waved back. The baby actually reared up on his hind legs, making Natalie laugh.

"Good bye! Good luck!" She heard Annie call to the Cro-Magnon.

The wind began to swirl around them, masking the mammoths and the Cro-Magnons from view. Natalie closed her eyes as she felt her feet lift off the ground. She started to spin.

She spun faster and faster, the wind roaring in her ears.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie felt her feet slam into the ground and her eyes snapped open.

She was back in Merlin's secret study, and she was back to being human again.

"Welcome Back Natalie" Merlin smiled from his chair.

Natalie smiled back at Merlin.

" _I hope they find their coats"_ Annie's voice drew Natalie's gaze up to the M that floated above them.

" _Me too"_ said Jack. Through the N, Natalie could see her two cousins gathered around the M carved into the tree house floor.

 _Squeak!_ Morgan appeared on the M.

" _Hey you, how did you find the sorcerer?_ " Annie asked Morgan, stroking her tiny head.

Morgan squeaked at her, but didn't answer.

" _It's a secret, huh?"_ Annie said.

Natalie gazed at Merlin, who smiled mysteriously. "Do not look at me. Morgan's secrets are her own"

"Right" Natalie rolled her eyes.

" _Where's the flute?"_ Annie asked.

Natalie looked up to see Jack place the mammoth bone flute from the sorcerer on the M, next to the moonstone and the mango.

" _Moonstone, Mango, Mammoth Bone…"_ Annie said. It sure _sounded_ like an incantation for a spell. " _We just need one more M thing. Then Morgan will be free of her spell"_

" _Tomorrow"_ Natalie saw Jack nod at Annie through the M.

" _Bye you"_ Annie patted Morgan on the head then moved out of sight.

Jack disappeared for a moment, then his face reappeared, smiling at Morgan. _"Thanks for helping us"_ He said, before moving out of sight.

Merlin waved his staff and the M outline disappeared.

"And as usual, the brave cousin who puts her life on the line gets no credit at all" Natalie sighed dramatically.

Seeing Merlin's confused look, Natalie laughed. "I'm sorry, I was just joking."

Merlin nodded. "I understand, Natalie. These missions are very difficult, and very taxing. Many grown people I know would have given up by now, but not you."

Natalie felt her cheeks turn red. "Yeah, I'm funny that way"

Merlin smiled. "You are _impressive_ that way" He corrected.

Natalie blushed again. "Thanks, I just wish that that one day, I won't have to hide from my cousins"

Merlin nodded. "I understand, but for the time being, this is safer. Even when Morgan is freed, I want to be absolutely sure she will accept you before we tell her."

Natalie nodded, remembering how bitter Morgan had sounded when she had trapped Natalie in a prison of air.

"You should go" Merlin said. "I sense your cousins have already left."

"Right" Natalie turned to leave.

"But before you do…" Merlin's voice stopped her. "I think you should take these."

Natalie turned to see Merlin holding out a pair of towels and what looked like a pair of swimming goggles.

Natalie's eyes widened. Those were Jack and Annie's! "Where did those come from?"

"Your cousins left them in the Cro-Magnon cave after borrowing their reindeer-skin coats. They have returned the coats, so now these can be returned to them"

Natalie took the towels and goggles. "But, how did _you_ get them?" She asked.

Merlin gave another mysterious smile, but did not answer.

Natalie laughed. "Let me guess, another _secret?"_ She asked.

Merlin's eyes twinkled. "We magicians have many secrets."

"And you never tell them, do you?" Natalie joked.

Merlin shook his head.

"I thought not" Natalie giggled as she headed towards the alcove that lead outside. "See you next time"

"Until next time" Merlin said.

Natalie took a deep breath and pushed through the bark wall until she found herself outside.

The clearing outside was empty. Natalie spotted her cousins darting through the trees, heading for the road.

Natalie smiled and called out. " _There_ you are!"

Jack and Annie stopped and turned around. Natalie ran up to them.

"Natalie!" Annie said. "What are you doing in here?"

"Looking for you, that's what?" Natalie said, pretending to look annoyed. "What is the matter with you two? I turn my back for one minute and you both vanish!"

Jack's eyes suddenly widened as he saw the towels draped on Natalie's arm. "Our towels!" He said.

"My goggles" Annie gasped. She looked up at Natalie. "Where'd you get those?"

Natalie hitched a confused look on her face, but inside she was trying not to laugh. "What do you mean 'where'd I get them'? I found them on the sidewalk"

Natalie bit her lip as Jack and Annie stared at each other.

"Try to keep a closer eye on your things, okay?" Natalie said as she handed the towels and goggles back. "You're lucky I turned around and saw them, or else they would have lain out there all night"

"Sorry" Annie said.

"Yeah, sorry, and thanks" Jack said.

Natalie allowed herself to smile as they headed back towards the road, then she jokingly asked "What are you two doing in here anyway? Are you hunting for our dinner?"

Jack and Annie's jaws dropped open, and then all three of them burst out laughing.

"Of course not!" Annie laughed. "Do we look like cave kids to you?"

 _Not now you don't!_ Natalie thought as she laughed. She saw Jack and Annie exchange another look.

"Yeah, I'm glad we don't have to hunt for our food anymore" Jack said as they left the woods.

 _Yeah, thank goodness!_ Natalie silently agreed.

"Yeah, mom and dad already did that, at the supermarket" said Annie

"Gee, you think they trapped anything?" Natalie joked.

"I hope they trapped some spaghetti and meatballs" Jack grinned

"I hope they trapped a pizza" Annie laughed.

"Hurry, I'm starving" said Jack as their house came into sight.

They took off running down the sidewalk.

Natalie smiled as she ran, but she felt a shiver as she remembered the hungry glint in the eyes of both the Sabertooth cats and the Cro-magnon family. She was glad that she lived in _this_ time, where food was more plentiful.

"We're home!" shouted Annie as they burst through the front door.

"What's for dinner?" shouted Jack

"'Cause we've worked up a mammoth appetite!" shouted Natalie, causing them all to laugh again.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **I had planned to wait a little while before submitting this, but what the heck?**

 **A lot of inspiration for this story came from the Walking with Beasts Tv series. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. I used to have it on DVD and I watched it so many times I can practically remember each episode. The very last one talked about mammoths and featured a scene where mammoths are being hunted by humans. It was epic to watch and I still get chills whenever I watch it. I wanted to incorporate some of that feeling into this story. Did I do a good job?**

 **People have been asking when Morgan is going to find out about Natalie. Right now all I can say is that she'll learn 'something' about Natalie soon enough. Keep reading to find out!**

 **And so we are approaching the end of Arc 2. Natalie seems to have fully accepted her role as Jack and Annie's guardian while they go on these missions. But what will happen when she learns who was being Morgan's transformation? Are you guy excited for the final story? Comment if you are! I'm halfway done with it, but the more comments I get, the faster I'll write!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	8. Midnight on the Moon

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

Midnight on the Moon

Natalie sleepily opened one eye and then the other. She yawned and glanced around, before suddenly sitting bolt upright.

"W-where am I?" She gasped, her eyes wide.

Her bed was still there, along with her pillow, blanket, and sheets, but the rest of her bedroom was gone. Natalie's bed appeared to be floating in space!

"Wow" Natalie stared in awe at the twinkling stars that were all around her. They were so bright! Much brighter than she had ever seen then before, and so close! Natalie felt like she could reach out and touch one. She stretched out her hand towards the closest one.

"Hey! Woah!" Natalie cried out as she felt her body suddenly leave her bed. She was floating!

"What's going on?" Natalie turned to see her bed falling into the darkness below, disappearing from sight.

Natalie shivered as she glanced around at the stars, curling up into a ball in her pajamas. What had been beautiful before suddenly felt a little creepy now. Without the safety of her bed, the stars looked more distant, like they all seemed to be moving away from her.

 _What's that?_ Natalie blinked as she realized that one of the stars _was_ moving! It was larger and brighter than the others, like it was getting closer.

Natalie's jaw dropped as the star came closer. That wasn't a star, it was a man! _A giant man wearing a spacesuit was flying towards her!_

The man's spacesuit was white and silver and it reminded Natalie of the knight armor she had worn during one of her previous adventures in the tree house. A metal visor hid his face and one of his large gloved hands was punching the darkness ahead of him as he flew, like Superman.

His other gloved hand was resting on a lever connected to a giant tank on his back. It was as big as a refrigerator, and Natalie could see fire and smoke coming from a pair of nozzles on the bottom.

 _A jetpack!_ Natalie's eyes widened. _That's so cool!_ She grinned as a memory rose up from the depths of her mind about how Abby, one of her friends in Chicago, had drawn up plans to build her own jet pack when she heard that Natalie was moving away.

" _Once I get this baby built, I'll fly on over to visit you!"_ She had told Natalie when they had last spoken. Natalie had laughed and told her she couldn't wait to see it in action. She personally didn't think that it would work, but it meant a lot that her friend had been so concerned about her.

Natalie's smile suddenly faded as she realized the giant man was coming _straight_ at her. _I'd better move!_ Natalie thought, but when she tried to move, she found that she couldn't. She seemed to be floating in place.

"Uh oh!" Natalie gulped as she tried to move again. She tried running, and swimming, and even jumping, but nothing worked, she didn't feel like she was moving at all. She looked up at the man; he was still on a collision course.

"Hey wait! Stop!" Natalie called out, waving her arms, hoping the man would notice her, but the man gave no sign of seeing or hearing her, he just kept coming. By now he was close enough for Natalie to see the faded patches that covered his suit.

"Stop! No!" Natalie squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the collision.

But it never came.

Natalie's eyes snapped open. She sat up in her bed and looked around. Moonlight was shining through her bedroom window, covering her bed in a blanket of silver light.

 _It was just a dream!_ Natalie sighed with relief as she glanced around her bedroom, she was still safe at home. But for some reason, her throat felt very dry.

Shaking her head, Natalie quietly stepped out of her bed and crossed through the puddle of white on her bedroom floor to the door.

Stepping out into the hallway, Natalie walked quietly past Jack's bedroom door, pausing to peek inside. Jack was still asleep.

Natalie smiled, _good, they haven't left without me_ , she thought and continued onto the bathroom.

Natalie worried that her dream had been sent by Merlin the magician, telling her that Jack and Annie had taken off to the tree house without her. But she knew that one wouldn't go without the other.

In the bathroom, Natalie filled a cup with water and drank it down greedily. She was just about to refill the cup when she heard a noise.

Natalie froze, glancing at the bathroom door. There was no one there, but she thought she heard a soft voice in the hallway beyond. Most people might not have given it a second thought, but Natalie had sharp ears and she knew what she had heard.

Setting the cup down, Natalie peeked out into the hallway. It was empty, but as she moved back towards her room, and was passing Jack's room, she heard soft voices. It was definitely Annie and she seemed to be telling Jack something.

"Yay!" Annie's voice whispered as Natalie came to a halt. "Meet you at the back door" Annie's back appeared in Jack's doorway.

Natalie blinked rapidly and rubbed her face, trying to make it look like she was half asleep. "Annie?" she said softly, biting her lip as she saw her cousin visibly jump and spin around. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Natalie?" Annie blinked up at her. "Um…I was…"

"And what are you wearing?" Natalie ran her eyes over the jeans and sweatshirt Annie was wearing. "You're not planning to _sleep_ in that, are you?"

"Uh, why not?" Annie gave Natalie a smile. "I woke up feeling a little chilly and thought that sleeping in my clothes might make me warmer."

 _Yeah, right!_ Natalie could feel her mouth trying to smile and fought to keep the tired expression on her face and to keep her laughter down. She knew what was really happening. Annie and Jack were about to sneak off to have another magic tree house adventure.

Natalie gave a fake yawn, which soon gave way to a real one. "Whatever" She said, pretending to sound tired. "We'll talk about it in the morning, good night"

"Good night Natalie" Annie said softly as Natalie crossed the hallway to her own room and closed the door behind her until it was only open a crack. Peering through it, she watched Annie creep down the hallway. A minute later, Jack appeared in his doorway, fully dressed and followed Annie down the hallway.

Sighing, Natalie slipped off her pajamas and into the jeans and sweatshirt that the always kept folded on a chair in case Jack and Annie snuck out. She tied her sneakers on tightly and pulled her hair into a ponytail, securing it with an elastic band.

Before she left, Natalie checked her right hand to see that the silver ring that she had gotten from Merlin was still on her finger. These days, she only took it off when she really had to, and had gotten so used to it being on her finger that she even slept with it on.

In the back of her mind, Natalie wondered whether she should contact Merlin before she left, but decided against it. Jack and Annie were probably out of the house by now, and she didn't want to get too far behind them.

Natalie crept downstairs, careful not to make any noise. She arrived in the kitchen just in time to see the back-door close. She peeked through the window and saw her cousins running across the lawn, the light from the moon making the grass and the sidewalk appear silver. Natalie smiled at the effect as she quietly unlocked the back door and stepped out into the moonlight.

Natalie squinted up at the full moon that hung in the dark sky above and felt her smile widen as thoughts of her mother suddenly flowed through her mind.

Natalie's mother had loved the moon, probably because it was featured in many of the myths she loved to read about. Natalie remembered how her mother had once told her the moon was a symbol of romance in many cultures, and a symbol of terror in others.

" _Show respect to the moon"_ Her mother had said. " _For no matter how they viewed it, good or bad, people have always revered the moon and its majesty"_

Natalie playfully bowed her head to the moon, then raced after her cousins.

The moonlight was so bright that Natalie had no trouble seeing where she was going. To keep her shadow from giving her away, Natalie carefully moved from patch of shadows to patch of shadows, squinting her eyes against the brightness of the sidewalk.

Soon however, she reached the woods, which were much darker. Here, much of the moonlight was filtered out by the leaves of the trees, giving Natalie much more freedom of movement.

Still, she kept as silent as she could, clambering over exposed roots and skirting around tree trunks.

"There!" Natalie paused as she heard Annie's voice in front of them. She peeked out from behind a tree.

Her two cousins were standing in the middle of a small clearing that was bathed in a silvery glow. They were both looking up.

Natalie followed their gaze up and saw the magic tree house shining in the moonlight.

"Be careful- go slowly" Jack warned as Annie started up the rope ladder.

Annie nodded back at him. After a minute, Jack started climbing as well.

Natalie watched her cousins climb the ladder. From her angle of vision, the moon was right behind the tree house, so for a moment, her climbing cousins were haloed by the celestial body.

Natalie smirked, wishing she had brought a camera. She would risk her anonymity on these missions to get a picture like that.

When her cousins had disappeared into the tree house, Natalie crept out of hiding and across the silver clearing. Placing both hands on the trunk of the oak tree that held the tree house she whispered, in a quiet but clear voice;

"I wish to pass into the heart, for another mission I seek to start"

Natalie felt her ring heat up, signifying the magic had worked. Grasping the bark of the tree, she pulled it apart, revealing a secret door in the trunk. Natalie stepped through and the door closed behind her.

Natalie pulled back her hood, freeing her hair as she glanced around Merlin's secret study. The round space was lit by dozens of candles and covered in bookshelves that were stacked from floor to ceiling.

As Natalie's gaze swept the room, she spotted Merlin standing next to his carved wooden chair. The elderly magician had his back to her; he was staring up at a glowing letter M that hovered above him, muttering words that Natalie could not hear.

Natalie cleared her throat. "Merlin?" She called.

The magician turned around. When he saw Natalie, he looked surprised, then he smiled. "Natalie, greetings"

"Greetings Merlin" Natalie smiled back at the magician.

"What brings you here at this hour?" Merlin asked.

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "I saw Jack and Annie sneak out of our house a few minutes ago and followed them here. But I'm guessing you already know that, don't you?" Natalie pointed to the glowing M above them.

Merlin nodded. "True, I was aware, thought I wish you would have contacted me before you followed them here"

"Why?"

"Because I would have told you not to bother" Merlin said softly. "I do not believe that Jack and Annie will require your help on this particular mission."

"What?" Natalie raised her other eyebrow. "But what about finding the fourth thing to help Morgan?" she asked.

A small smile flickered across Merin's face. "Actually, the fourth item needed to break the spell is…"

" _Peanut!"_ Annie's voice made Natalie look up towards the M. She could see moonlight streaming in through the tree house window, lighting up the tree house just enough for Natalie to see the outlines of her cousins.

" _You didn't expect to see us this late, did you?"_ Annie said.

" _Squeak!"_ Natalie smiled as she heard a squeak answer Annie. In the dim light, she saw Annie and Jack's outlines move out of view, and reappear a few seconds later. Annie was clutching something tiny in her hands, and Jack was holding what looked like a book.

" _So, where are we going this time?"_ Annie asked.

"Good question, where _are_ they going?" Natalie turned to look at Merlin. The magician didn't answer, he just gazed up at the M. Natalie wondered if he had even heard her.

" _Uh oh I knew we should have brought a flashlight"_ Natalie looked back up to see Jack holding the book up to the moonlight. _"I can't read a thing"_

" _Try reading the cover"_ Annie suggested.

Jack moved out of the image. A minute later, Natalie heard him gasp.

" _What? What is it?"_ Annie asked.

" _It says_ _ **Hello Moon"**_ Jack replied.

Natalie and Annie both gasped at the same time.

"They're going to the _moon?_ " Natalie whirled to look at Merlin. "Are you _serious?!"_ She exclaimed.

"Calm down Natalie" Merlin soothed.

"Calm down? They're going to the moon, _the moon!"_ Natalie said. "Do you _know_ what it's like up there? There's no atmosphere, which means no air for them to breathe, and no temperature control. They'll either boil or freeze to death!"

"Natalie" Merlin said, louder this time.

"What were you thinking, Merlin?" Natalie whirled to face the elder magician. She had no idea why Merlin could look so calm about this, Natalie's heart was thudding so loud she was surprised there wasn't an echo. A horrible image suddenly flashed through Natalie's mind, of the tree house arriving directly on the moon's surface. Sure, the tree house, the books, and probably Morgan herself would be fine, but Natalie didn't even want to think of what would happen to her cousins without proper equipment.

Natalie shook her head in an effort to dispel the image. "My cousins are travelling to _the moon_ , and you didn't even want to _tell me_?" She was practically screaming at Merlin. "I made a promise to protect my cousins from any dangers they might encounter while using the Tree House and the _surface of the moon_ is about one of the most dangerous places there is! How could you think that I wouldn't…?"

"Natalie!" Merlin placed a hand on Natalie's shoulder and knelt down in order to look her in the eye. As Natalie stared into the wizard's ice-blue eyes, she stopped talking.

"Listen to me Natalie, your concern is natural, but I assure you, your cousins will be no danger" He said.

"B-but…how can you be so sure?" Natalie asked.

"Contrary to what you think, the tree house will not be taking your cousins _directly_ to the moon's surface. Even Morgan is not that reckless." Merlin gave a small smile as he spoke. "She plans to have the Tree House take your cousins to a base that was erected on the surface of the moon."

Natalie blinked in confusion. _A moon base?_ She thought. She had never heard of such a thing, outside of story books. "Really?" She asked.

Merlin nodded as he released Natalie and straightened up. "I have been there myself, and can vouch for its safety. Your cousins will not be in any danger, you have my word"

Natalie didn't feel convinced. "I still think I should go after them" She said.

Merlin shook his head. "Too risky. The moon base is very small, there are not many places you would be able to hide from your cousins, and I would still prefer that your anonymity remain intact."

"So, turn me into an animal, like you have before" Natalie suggested.

Merlin shook his head again. "There are no animals allowed in the moon base. If one were to suddenly show up, even a small one, it would raise too many questions, if not from Jack and Annie, then form Morgan definitely"

"Well, there must be _something_ you can do!" Natalie wailed.

Merlin sighed sadly and shook his head. "I'm sorry Natalie, but I'm afraid that there is no way you could follow your cousins to the moon base without revealing yourself to Morgan. Even if I were to take you…". Merlin suddenly stopped talking. His eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Merlin?" Natalie asked. "Are you okay?" She jumped up and waved her hand in front of the magician's face. He didn't even blink.

"Merlin? Hello? Can you hear me?" Natalie grabbed the magician's wrist and began shaking it.

Merlin suddenly blinked and looked down at Natalie. "Yes, Natalie. Sorry if I scared you. But you have just given me an idea"

"I did?" Now Natalie blinked.

Merlon nodded. "I believe there _is_ a way that you could go to the moon without revealing your identity to your cousins."

"There is?" Natalie felt her heart quicken. Excitement suddenly coursed through her.

"Yes" Merlin stroked his chin, as if he were thinking rapidly. "Yes, this could work out well. It has been a while since I've seen him, and the timing would be appropriate."

"Merlin, what are you talking about?" Natalie asked.

Merlin didn't answer, he simply held out his hand, which Natalie took in her own. "Stay close Natalie" He said, before raising his staff into the air. As Natalie moved to stand next to him, she heard him mutter something inaudible.

Natalie jumped as a cloud of sparkling lights erupted from the tip of Merlin's staff and swarmed around them, whining and whooshing, like fireworks.

A warm wind began to flow in the study. Books and scrolls rattled on their shelves. The light of the candles flickered, causing shadows to flit around the room.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Natalie asked. She ducked as one of the streaming lights whizzed close to her head.

"To see an old friend of mine!" Merlin's voice rose as the sound of rushing wind grew louder. "Hang on!"

Natalie grasped Merlin's and in both her own and did just that. She glanced up at the M. Through the shimmering lights, she saw Jack had the moon book open, like he was about to make the wish. Annie was still clutching something, probably Morgan, in her hands.

The image, and the M, faded from view as the streaming lights surrounding them began to spin around them. They spun faster and faster, getting brighter and brighter.

Natalie felt her feet leave the floor, the lights were spinning so fast now that she felt dizzy. She shut her eyes.

Then everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie opened her eyes, and looked around. Her jaw dropped.

The two of them were standing in a large chamber. The walls were a deep gold and covered in flashing lights. The floor was slick white and looked like something you might see in a laboratory.

Natalie looked up, releasing Merlin's hand as she did so. The ceiling was gold too, crisscrossed by white lines in a strange grid-like pattern that reminded Natalie of a giant spider's web. At the center of the room was a large upside-down white dome that stretched nearly to the floor. Directly beneath the dome was a raised structure that looked like a console. Natalie could count at least four doors leading out of the chamber, all of them sealed shut. Each was labeled with strange symbols that looked like some ancient language.

The chamber was mostly empty, yet strange-looking devices lined the walls. Natalie shivered. It was eerily quiet.

"Wh-what is this place?" Natalie turned to Merlin. Her voice seemed to throughout the room.

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_ A piercing siren suddenly rang out, forcing Natalie to cover her ears. A bright light made her look down. Circles of light had formed around her feet. Natalie gasped and tried to leap away, but found that she couldn't. Her feet seemed glued to the floor.

"Merlin! I can't move!" Natalie shouted over the alarm. "My feet are stuck to the floor!" She glanced over at Merlin. There was a ring of light around his feet as well, but to her surprise, Merlin wasn't struggling. He was smiling.

"Merlin! Help me! Natalie yelled, gritting her teeth. The alarm felt like it was boring into her skull.

"Relax Natalie, just wait!" Merlin called back, his voice was crystal clear despite the pounding alarm.

"Wait?" Natalie screwed her eyes up against the noise. "Wait for what?"

" _Who dares intrude here?"_ Natalie froze as a deep voice rang through the chamber. The volume of the alarm suddenly seemed to dim.

"Mordu, it is I, Merlin!" Merlin answered, his voice still surprisingly calm.

There was loud electronic whirr and Natalie gasped as a large figure suddenly appeared behind the console. Natalie instinctively darted backwards, but her feet remained stationary. Natalie lost her balance and fell backwards. Her hands splayed out on the cold floor and were instantly surrounded by circles of white light. When Natalie tried to get up, she found her hands were now stuck to the floor as well.

 _Oh Great!_ Natalie thought as she frantically tried to tug her hands free, but to no avail. _Now I'm REALLY stuck!_

" _Merlin?"_ The deep voice rumbled again. _"I was not expecting your arrival today. What brings you here?"_

"I will explain, but first, could you please release us?" Merlin shouted over the siren.

" _Of course,"_ The voice replied.

Suddenly, the circles of light around Natalie's hands and feet disappeared and she found that she could move again. The piercing alarm had stopped as well.

The chamber echoed with pounding footsteps. With a nervous squeak, Natalie darted behind Merlin as the large figure stepped out from behind the console and moved across the chamber towards them.

" _My apologies for the unpleasant reception, Merlin. But you really should notify me of your visits before they actually occur"_ The figure spoke, its voice was deep and rough.

"Yes, I was wrong not to contact you first, but my decision to come was…spur of the moment, as mortals like to say" She heard Merlin reply.

" _Speaking of mortals, who is the human that you bring with you?"_ Natalie winced at the voice's next question. She felt Merlin's hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Merlin smiling down at her.

"It is all right, Natalie." He said. "There is nothing here that will hurt you. You have my word"

After what had just happened, Natalie wasn't so sure, but she swallowed her fear and slowly moved out from behind Merlin.

"Natalie, this is my good friend, Mordu." Merlin said, motioning to the being that stood before them. Natalie's eyes widened.

Mordu towered over the both of them. He had to be at least 7 ft. tall. His skin, what little Natalie could see of it, was dark gray and looked somewhat weathered, like it had been carved from solid rock. He wore a glimmering silver bodysuit that covered every inch of him except for his hands and his head, which had no hair, glowing purple eyes and a kind smile.

"Mordu, this is Natalie. She is my newest confidante and has been assisting me on a very important matter." Merlin explained as Natalie gazed, somewhat dumb-struck, at the being before her. Gazing at his face, Natalie was suddenly reminded of picture she had seen of Easter Island, which was dotted with large stone heads. The resemblance between them and Mordu's face was eerily similar.

" _Greetings Natalie"_ Mordu said, extending a large hand to Natalie, who whimpered and backed away.

Mordu's smile faded. " _You seem tense."_ He said. " _Understandable, considering what you have just encountered._ _Your unexpected arrival triggered my security system. Had I known you were coming, I would have deactivated it"_

"Again Mordu, my apologies." Merlin said, bowing his head. "I know that your race frowns on surprises such as this, but it was unavoidable this time"

 _His_ _ **race?**_ Natalie wondered if she had heard Merlin correctly. _Just who is this guy?_ She asked mentally. But Natalie had this nagging feeling that she already knew the answer. The silver jumpsuit alone seemed to give it away.

 _But that's impossible! Aliens aren't real!_ Natalie shook her head, trying to dispel the theory her brain was developing about Mordu. But given everything that had just happened to her over the last ten minutes, she found the theory _very_ hard to dismiss.

" _Think nothing of it, my friend."_ Mordu smiled at Merlin. _"I was wondering when your next visit would be"_ Natalie winced as Mordu turned back to look at her. _"Do not worry my dear, friends of Merlin are always welcome on my ship"_

"You…your ship?" Natalie croaked, having found her voice at last. She glanced around the chamber, feeling more and more uncomfortable. Her friend Abby, in addition to her jet-pack design, had spent hours trying to convince Natalie that aliens were real. In fact, Abby was convinced that the statues on Easter Island were based on aliens.

Natalie hadn't laughed, she had humored her friend's theories. But she had never put much stock into them at the time. Now, however…

Mordu's granite face cracked into another smile. " _You have not yet told her?"_ He asked, looking at Merlin.

"Unfortunately, there was no time" Merlin shook his head.

 _His race? His ship?_ "Wait" Natalie's eyes widened and her face paled. There seemed no way for her to deny it now. She pointed a shaking finger at Mordu "You're not a…" She turned to Merlin, who was smiling at her reaction. "He's not…"

" _She catches on quickly, doesn't she?"_ Mordu looked at Merlin.

"Indeed" Merlin's smile widened as he turned back to Natalie. "Mordu is, what you mortals call, an extra-terrestrial being, more commonly referred to as an 'alien'"

"An…an _alien?"_ Natalie couldn't believe her ears. An _actual_ alien, a being from another planet, maybe even another galaxy, was standing right in front of her! Abby had been right all along! There actually _was_ life on other planets!

" _Merlin speaks the truth Natalie, I am indeed not from your world"_ Mordu's voice rumbled.

Natalie took a few steps back, almost instinctively. Though she hadn't personally _believed_ in aliens until now, she had seen enough sci-fi movies to know that not all aliens were good guys, and that many times when aliens came to your planet, it was with some hidden agenda. Natalie didn't feel like taking any chances.

Her unease must have shown on her face, because Mordu's lost its smile. " _I sense you do not yet trust me"_ He rumbled.

Natalie mutely shook her head, feeling equally relieved and guilty as she did so. She was relieved that the alien understood her feelings and was embarrassed that her feelings were so obvious. She _wanted_ to trust this alien, especially since this guy seemed to be good friends with Merlin. She just felt so…so overwhelmed.

"I know what you are thinking, Natalie" Natalie stiffened as she felt Merlin's hand on her shoulder. "And there is no need to worry. I trust Mordu with my life"

Natalie looked at Merlin, then back at Mordu, who had not moved. Slowly, she stepped forward, reached out a shaking hand, and clasped as much of Mordu's hand as she could.

"H-Hi Mordu. It's nice… to…meet…you" She said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

Mordu's rock-like skin was hard, but surprisingly warm. It kind of reminded Natalie of volcanic rock that she had seen on TV once.

" _It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Natlaie"_ Mordu's deep voice rumbled through Natalie's head.

Natalie winced as Mordu's hand wrapped around her own, but the aliens' grip was _very_ gentle. Natalie had a sense he was being ultra-gentle on purpose, and felt herself start to relax a little.

"But, I…I don't understand." Natalie said after she and Mordu had unclasped hands. "How could a real alien be on Earth without anyone knowing about it?" Natalie felt sure that an actual alien arriving on Earth would have made headline news.

" _It is actually not that difficult, my dear. Though I have never visited Earth, I know of others that have, and they have never been detected by humans"_ Mordu replied.

"Never visited Earth?" Natalie repeated. "That doesn't make sense. We're on Earth right now, aren't we?" She asked.

Neither Mordu nor Merlin answered her. They just looked at each other.

" _Aren't_ we?" Natalie asked, glancing from one face to another, but her heart suddenly started racing.

Mordu smiled at her, then turned and moved back to what Natalie now realized was some sort of control console. He reached over the rim and pressed a button. _"Computer, exterior view"_ He ordered.

The golden walls and ceiling of the chamber suddenly seemed to flicker, and fade away. In their place, another image appeared.

"No…. Way!" Natalie gasped. She was surrounded by rocky gray soil, stretching out as far a she could see. Giant craters and tall mountains peppered the surface. The sky overheard was deep black, containing hundreds of stars, and a large blue-and-white ball that seemed to glow where it hung, like a jewel.

"Merlin…are…we…?" Natalie slowly turned to the magician, who nodded.

"Welcome to the Moon, Natalie" He said softly.

 _The Moon!_ Natalie turned to look at the barren landscape stretching out before her. She was _actually_ on the moon!

Natalie felt light-headed. She couldn't breathe, the cratered surface seemed to sway beneath her feet and she stumbled.

"Calm yourself Natalie. It is only an illusion you are seeing right now" Merlin said as he caught her. "Deep breaths"

" _Computer, end exterior view. Revert to basic setting!"_ Mordu ordered. The cratered surface and starry sky faded to the golden walls, floor, and ceiling of the chamber.

Natalie forced herself to take a deep breath, then another one. Her head seemed to clear…mostly. "I'm okay" She said, getting to her feet. "I'm okay" She turned to look up at Mordu. "Could you please…bring it back?" She asked shyly.

Mordu chuckled, a rich deep laugh that echoed across the chamber. Hearing it, Natalie's nerves began to fade away. " _Computer, return to exterior view"_ Mordu ordered.

As the golden walls once again faded to the cratered surface of the moon, Natalie knelt down and brushed her hand by her feet. She expected to feel dusty ground, but instead she felt the cold, hard floor of the chamber.

Natalie dashed across the chamber, her hands held out in front of her, until she felt herself hit the wall of the chamber. She now understood that she was looking at an image, like looking out a window. She stared at the bone-white powdery surface before her.

"What my friends wouldn't give to see this" She muttered under her breath as her eyes ran over a mountain range in the distance. The dusty surface looked like something straight out of photograph, completely undisturbed, not a single footprint in sight.

Hearing low voices behind her, Natalie looked back to see Merlin and Mordu in deep conversation.

Seeing this, Natalie's mind suddenly remembered the mission. _Can't afford to get distracted_ , Natalie thought as she turned and headed back towards them.

As Natalie crossed the chamber, Merlin noticed her coming towards them and spoke something to Mordu, who straightened as Natalie approached.

"Natalie, Mordu has just offered to show you around his ship. Would you like that?" Merlin asked.

Natalie did like that idea, "But…what about the mission?" She asked.

"Jack and Annie have no reason to leave the moon base" Merlin assured her "Everything they need to break the spell holding Morgan is there. Once they have succeeded, I will sense it and let you know."

Natalie tried to find a way to stay with Merlin, but couldn't think of one. "Sure, I'd love to see your ship" She smiled at Mordu.

Mordu returned the smile. _"Then follow me, please"_ He headed towards one of the doors set into the wall, which opened as he approached. With a final glance at Merlin, Natalie followed.

Mordu's ship was surprisingly smaller than Natalie expected. The alien led her off of the main chamber into a circular hallway that ran around the interior of the ship. As they proceeded down the hallway, Mordu stopped to open some of the various doors that they came across. The first door lead to what looked like a small garden which, as Mordu described, was a food source for him. Apparently, his race were vegetarians and ate several meals a day. This made Natalie chuckle as she imagined humans trying to keep up with Mordu's appetite.

The plants in the garden were like nothing Natalie had ever seen before, the resembled luminous pods. Mordu reached inside one, without breaking the skin of the pod, and pulled out two plants that resembled corn cobs. He peeled them expertly and handed one to Natalie, who hesitantly took a bite, and was surprised to see that it actually _was_ corn, though a lot sweeter than any she had tasted before.

Munching on her treat, Natalie followed Mordu as he showed her through what appeared to be the engine room, which was mostly taken up by a large structure that looked like an enormous seashell. Natalie asked how it worked, but though Mordu tried his best to explain, Natalie barely understood half of what he was saying. Something about particle fusion? Natalie's head began to spin just thinking about it.

The next stop was Mordu's personal quarters on the ship. Instead of a bed, a large pod-like structure stood before them.

"You sleep standing up?" Natalie giggled.

Mordu smiled in response. _"In quarters this small, I must make the best of what I have"_ He said, then he went on to explain that the pod conformed to fit beings of multiple sizes and was quite comfortable. He offered for Natalie to try it, but Natalie shook her head. She was happy to take Mordu's word for it.

Following this, was what appeared to be an arsenal, with an assortment of weapons that would not have looked out of place at a Star Trek convention, though they were all giant sized. Mordu proudly explained that his race was a peace-loving one who only took up arms as a last resort. Mordu himself had been extensively trained in the use of every weapon present, but had thankfully never had needed to use any of them since arriving.

Natalie gulped as she ran her eyes down the long barrel of what looked like a large rifle. She was thankful for that and secretly wondered why Mordu would need weapons like these at all. Was he hiding from someone? Was he a fugitive? Or was he like, a scout? These questions tumbled all through Natalie's head as Mordu lead her out of the room.

Touring these chambers took longer than Natalie had expected, and she started to wonder how her cousins were doing. After leaving the armory, Mordu took Natalie back up to the chamber they had arrived in, where Merlin was waiting for them.

"So Mordu..." Natalie asked as they stepped back into the main chamber. "Are there many of you here on the moon?"

Mordu stopped and looked at her. His smile had faded away, replaced by a sad look.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Natalie quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to…"

Mordu's frown curved back into a smile. _"There is no need to apologize Natalie"_ He rumbled in his gravelly voice. _"In truth, I am the only one of my race that is here. I am what you humans would call, a sentinel"_

"Sentinel?" Natalie echoed, glancing at Merlin. "What does that mean?"

Merlin's face was expressionless. "A sentinel is another name for a guardian, or protector"

" _Yes"_ Mordu's smile faded. His face looked as hard as rock. _"For many generations, my people have been locked in an interstellar battle, protecting this galaxy from a horde of intergalactic invaders"_

"You-you have?" Natalie's eyes widened.

" _Indeed"_ Mordu continued. _"Your solar system has been labeled as a strategic outpost ever since our war began. So, many years ago, I was dispatched here to monitor for the invader's arrival into this sector of space."_

"And…have they arrived?" Natalie felt her face pale.

Seeing her anxiety, Mordu smiled. " _Fortunately, no, I have been at this watch for many of your Earth years, and have detected no trace of the invaders we are at war with."_

Natalie sighed with relief and smiled. Mordu chuckled.

" _Yes, I am also relieved by their absence, though there was once a time when I wished that the invaders would come"_

"What?" Natalie gasped "Why would you want that?"

" _Because it is lonely, being a sentinel"_ Mordu sighed. _"Due to the risk of my mission, I am unable to send signals to my fellow soldiers, only receive them. I have heard nothing from them in over fifty of your Earth years"_

Natalie's eyes widened. "Wow, I can see why you _would_ feel lonely!"

Mordu nodded _"Indeed, so lonely in fact, that there were times when I questioned the importance of my mission. There were even times I considered abandoning my post."_

"But you didn't" Natalie pointed out.

" _I almost did, but then I met Merlin"_ Mordu turned to look at the magician. _"And he reminded me of the responsibility that comes with being a sentinel"_

"Mordu and I have been friends ever since that encounter" Merlin said, nodding at the alien. "I visit him from time to time, mainly to keep him company"

" _And I am most grateful for each of your visits"_ Mordu said in reply.

Natalie grinned, but her smile faded when she noticed that Merlin was frowning.

"Merlin, is something wrong?" She asked.

Merlin looked at Natalie. "It's strange. I sense that the spell binding Morgan is still in effect" He said. "Jack and Annie should have been able to break it by now"

Natalie felt her heart quicken. "Something must have happened to them" She said.

"We do not know that" Merlin said, but he did not appear convinced either.

"I should go check on them. Maybe I can find out what's taking so long" Natalie said.

"I told you, I cannot bring you to the moon base." Merlin shook his head. "Not without revealing you to Morgan."

"Mordu, do you have any ideas?" Natalie turned Mordu, who looked thoughtful.

" _I have space gear for travelling outside the ship"_ The alien rumbled. " _But it would be far too large for you to handle"_

Natalie's heart sank. She turned to Merlin. "Please Merlin. Something's happened to them, I can feel it. I _have_ to check on them!"

Merlin sighed. "Very well." He said and waved his staff in Natalie's direction. The tip of his staff flared with light, making Natalie shut her eyes. A tingling sensation began to spread through her body, and for a moment Natalie felt completely numb.

" _Hmm, interesting"_ Natalie opened her eyes at Mordu's voice, and looked down at herself.

She and Mordu were now the same height! Just like in Ancient Japan, Natalie's body and clothes had magically grown in size.

"Cool!" Natalie exclaimed as she looked herself over. "Thanks Merlin!"

Merlin nodded, but did not reply.

Natalie turned to Mordu. "Do you think your space gear will fit me now?" She asked.

Mordu smiled. _"Let us find out_ " He said, leading them towards another door in the wall, which slid open when Mordu pressed a hand against it.

Inside the small room beyond was dominated mostly by a large door. Hanging next to the door was a large silver spacesuit.

Next to the suit were shelves that held boots, gloves, and a helmet with a visor. Leaning on the opposite wall was a large pack that resembled a refrigerator.

Natalie blinked in surprise. It was the same spacesuit that the person in her dreams had been wearing!

 _Wow, how ironic!_ Natalie thought as she pulled the spacesuit off the hanger and stepped into it. She expected it to be heavy, like her knight armor had been, but it was actually very light. It slid on over her clothing without a problem.

" _It would appear my gear now fits you"_ Mordu said, lifting the giant tank up off the floor with one hand.

Natalie's eyes widened. "Wow, you're really strong" She said.

Mordu chuckled as he turned the giant tank in his hands. " _It is not me. This air tank is lined with antigravity technology, making it easy to lift when gravity is active._ " He explained.

"That's still a huge air tank" "Natalie commented as she turned her back to Mordu.

" _It is not just an air tank_ " Mordu said as he helped Natalie lock it in place on her back. _"It also functions as a personal propulsion device"_

"A _what_?" Natalie asked.

"I believe a better name for it would be, a jetpack" Merlin called. He had been watching from the doorway.

"A jetpack? No way!" Natalie beamed as she glanced at the giant tank now strapped to her back.

"Yes" Mordu smiled at Natalie's excitement. "Once we finish get you fitted, I will instruct you on how it works"

Hearing this, Natalie eagerly set about putting on the rest of the spacesuit. She pulled a huge pair of white gloves on over her hands and a huge pair of white boots over her sneakers. Mordu then locked the pieces of the suit into place.

While Mordu picked up the helmet and began fiddling with it, Natalie practiced moving. Even though the air tank/jetpack on her back was light, she movements still felt bulky and uncoordinated.

Mordu handed Natalie the helmet. Natalie quickly tied her red hair into a bun and then slipped on the helmet. She felt Mordu lock it in place.

Natalie jumped as a loud hissing sound filled her ears. Cool air flowed across Natalie's face.

Natalie tried to look around, but found that she could not move her head left or right. She turned to look around, but all she could see was blackness.

"Uh, Mordu, how does this work?" Natalie called out. "How does it turn on?"

At the word _'on'_ a light flashed before Natalie's eyes and suddenly she could see again. Even though the visor on the helmet was closed, Natalie found that her visions was completely unrestricted. She saw Mordu straighten up in front of her. His mouth was moving, but Natalie couldn't hear him.

"What did you say?" Natalie asked. Mordu didn't answer, but he suddenly smiled and walked over to a panel on the wall. Sliding it open, he pulled out a device that resembled a headset.

Mordu placed the headset on and turned back to Natalie. " _Can you hear me Natalie?"_ He asked.

"I can now" Natalie grinned.

" _Good"_ Mordu sounded satisfied. " _The suit is equipped with a two-way radio receiver similar to what the astronauts of your planet use. Once you leave the ship, we will be able to hear anything you say."_

"Got it"' Natalie nodded her head, though her helmet didn't move with her. "How much air do I have?"

" _Unfortunately, the tank is only half full, but you should have enough for six earth hours"_ Mordu replied. _"You will see a series of gauges on the left side of your visor screen. The middle one is the air indicator."_

"I see it" Natalie's eyes moved to the gauges. The middle gage was divided into red, yellow, and green. A blue arrow lay on the boundary between the green and yellow fields. "What about the others?" The other three gages were all dark.

" _They are associated with the jet-pack, which is not active at the moment."_ Mordu explained as he approached. Natalie could feel him inspecting various functions of the suit, testing locks, making adjustments here and there. _"There, all seems in order. Try to move"_

Natalie complied, but found moving more difficult than she thought. Her suit, while not as heavy as she had expected, was somewhat bulky, especially with the giant tank on her back. After a few minutes of practice however, Natalie felt comfortable.

"I'm ready" she said.

" _Good, we must depart so I can open the airlock. Once you are outside, I will instruct you on the use of the jetpack."_ Mordu nodded at her before walking through the door that lead back to the main chamber.

Merlin nodded and mouthed something that Natalie thought was 'good luck' before he followed Mordu out of the room.

The door slid shut behind them, leaving Natalie alone. Taking a deep breath to calm her suddenly fluttering heart, Natalie slowly turned around to face the large door in the wall.

" _Natalie, I am opening the airlock now"_ Mordu's voice rang over the radio. The large door in the wall before her slowly began to slide open.

"Wow" Natalie gasped as the door opened fully, revealing the barren white landscape beyond. Though it looked just like what she had seen in the chamber, Natalie still felt a sense of awe as she stepped out of the ship and onto the surface of the moon.

She took another step forward. A fine spray of dust rose up when her foot touched down. She cleared the door, which closed behind her

"Wow" Natalie said again as she looked around. Everything was so _…still!_ The chalky white ground, the inky black sky studded with stars, the blue-white ball that was the Earth. Natalie felt like she had just stepped into a picture.

" _Natalie, are you there?"_ Mordu's voice broke the silence.

"Y-yes, I'm here" Natalie stammered her reply, still awestruck by the fact that she was _actually_ walking _on_ the moon.

" _You sound tense, is everything alright?"_ She heard Merlin's voice through the radio.

"It…It's… Oh Merlin, it's unbelievable out here!" Natalie exclaimed.

She heard Mordu chuckle. _"Yes, I agree. The view is quite…breathtaking"_

"It's more than that" Natalie said, gazing up at the Earth. "It's…humbling. Look at the Earth. It's so beautiful, and yet, it looks so small, and fragile"

A strong wave of tenderness washed over Natalie. She felt tears come to her eyes and blinked them away.

" _Yes, it does, doesn't it?"_ Merlin replied. Natalie wondered if they were watching from the main chamber.

"I-I feel like I could just…put my hand around it" Natalie reached up towards the Earth.

"Careful Natalie" Merlin warned.

"W-woah!" Natalie cried out as she felt her feet suddenly leave the dusty ground, she flew up towards the stars above. "What's going on?"

" _Calm yourself Natalie"_ Mordu's voice soothed through the radio as Natalie began to come back down. " _Remember that the pull of gravity on the Earth's moon is supposedly one-sixth that of the pull gravity on the Earth"_

"Right, I-I knew that!" Natalie stammered as she landed again. She took a deep breath, and pushed off the surface again, rising towards the starry sky in a spray of moon dust. She bounded up and down, it felt like she was flying. She laughed. "Wow, I feel like a rabbit!" She yelled.

" _There is no need to shout. We can hear you quite clearly."_ Mordu said.

Natalie instantly felt embarrassed. "Sorry" She searched for a way to change the subject. "So, how does the jetpack work?" She asked.

" _Ah yes. The controls for the jetpack are retracted currently. You will need to extend them vocally. Say, 'Extend propulsion controls'"_ Mordu explained.

"Extend propulsion control _s"_ Natalie repeated. She heard a beep from inside her helmet and felt something move on her left side. A long pole with a handgrip extended into her line of vision. The gages on her viewscreen that had been dark before suddenly lit up.

 _Excellent"_ Mordu said when Natalie mentioned this over the radio. " _The top gauge is the fuel available for the jetpack. The bottom gauge is the temperature sensor, and the middle gauge, below the air gauge, is the pressure gauge. Make sure that all of these gauges stay out of the red areas. If any one of them should enter that area, the jetpack will fail, understand?"_

"Got it" Natalie said.

" _Now the controls themselves are quite simple"_ Mordu continued. _"You steer by angling your body in the direction you wish to go. The button at the end of the handgrip is the ignition. Press it to ignite the thrusters, press it again to turn them off. The handgrip itself serves as the throttle. Twist it forward to go faster, twist it backwards to go slower. Give it a try"_

"Okay, here's goes" Natalie said. Taking a deep breath, she grasped the handgrip in her left hand, twisted it forward, held her finger over the ignition button, and pressed it.

Natalie instantly felt a push from behind her as her body was suddenly lifted off the moon surface in a cloud of moon dust.

"Woah!" Natalie cried out as she twisted the handgrip back like she had seen a motorcycle driver do on TV. She felt herself still rising, but slower this time.

Remembering Mordu's words, she repositioned herself until she was parallel to the ground and twisted the handgrip forward.

Instantly, she shot forwards through the inky black sky, the white surface of the moon rushing past below her.

"Wahoo!" Natalie crowed as she rocketed along. "This is fantastic!"

" _Enjoying yourself?"_ Mordu's voice crackled over the headset.

"You have no idea!" Natalie laughed as she rocketed along. "This is amazing!"

" _Yes, it is"_ said Mordu. " _Just be sure to watch where you are going"_

 _Huh?_ Natalie looked ahead, and her eyes widened as she saw a large mountain appear before her, approaching rapidly.

"Yikes!" She yelped and twisted back on the handgrip. Her propulsion slowed, but she was still on a collision course. In desperation, she jerked backwards, somersaulting in midair. Suddenly finding herself on her back, she jerked to a halt before beginning to fly slowly backwards. She pressed the ignition button again and the jetpack switched off.

 _That was close!_ Natalie sighed as she floated back down to the moon's surface. She glanced at the gauges. The jetpack still had plenty of fuel left. Temperature had risen a little, the pressure gauge hadn't moved at all.

 _Okay, lets try this again!_ Natalie pressed the ignition button and lifted off the moon's surface. She angled her body, and twisted the throttle, as soon as her feet left the ground and zoomed towards the top of the mountain. As she crested it, she pulled back on the throttle and her rate of ascent slowed. She dipped towards a large crater on the other side and she flew down the other side of the mountain.

Natalie laughed as she zoomed over the crater. "Hey Mordu, I think I've got the hang of this now!" She called over the radio.

" _Good. Then I suggest you proceed directly to the moon base. It is currently due north-west of your position."_ Mordu instructed. _"Use the direction-finder to pinpoint where you need to go"_

 _Direction-finder?_ Natalie's eyes skimmed over the displays on her vizor, then spotted something that resembled a compass. Based on what is was showing, Northwest was to the left. Natalie angled her body upwards until she was high enough off the ground, then turned to the left and twisted the throttle, accelerating in the direction the compass was pointing.

Soon Natalie saw something in the distance. A large metal building that resembled a giant egg lying on its side.

 _That must be it!_ Natalie thought as she pulled back on the throttle. "Mordu, I think I see the moon base" She reported.

" _You are correct Natalie. My scanners show you to be right on top of it."_ Mordu added.

" _Natalie"_ Merlin suddenly broke in. _"Remember that Morgan still doesn't know you work for me, and it must remain that way. Protect your identity as well as possible."_

"Understood" Natalie replied as she approached the moon base. Cutting the jetpack's ignition, she landed in a bouncing stop, nearly falling over in the process.

 _Gotta work on that!_ Natalie made a mental note as she regained her balance. Then she turned towards the egg-shaped building.

Natalie moved in a series of long, leaping steps around the structure until she faced a large door at one end. She pressed a button on a panel near the door and it slip open. Natalie stepped inside and the door closed behind her. She saw what appeared to be a series of sprayers come on in the walls, releasing white mist into the chamber. Eventually, another door in front of her opened, revealing a short hallway.

Natalie reached up to remove her helmet, then paused. Though she had grown larger, Natalie was pretty sure her face looked the same, and she didn't want Jack and Annie recognizing her if they were still here.

" _I'll leave my helmet_ on, Natalie decided as she stepped out of the airlock and into the moon base. She paused a moment to allow her body to re-adjust. Back in regular gravity, her movements seemed sluggish again. When she had regained her bearings, she walked down the hallway, past a series of closed doors, until she came to the end and found herself in a large circular chamber. The Tree House sat in the center of the chamber on a large platform.

 _Where is everyone?_ Natalie wondered as she slowly climbed down the steps into the chamber. There was no sign of Jack and Annie anywhere.

Natalie approached the tree house and bent over to peek inside. The books were there, mostly stacked in neat piles. The M was there, glimmering in the low light that shone from the chamber walls. The three items, the Moonstone, the Mango, and the Mammoth-bone flute were lying on the M.

The only things missing were Jack and Annie. _Where are they?_ Natalie wondered. Even Morgan seemed to be missing.

No sooner had Natalie thought that when she felt a cold feeling move down her spine, just like every time she felt when Morgan was watching.

" _Squeeeak!"_ Natalie looked down as a small furry form appeared from behind the mango.

 _Oh, hello Morgan!_ Natalie smiled at the tiny brown-and-white mouse.

Morgan stared back at her, her tiny black eyes seemed to gleam in the light.

Natalie suddenly frowned as a strange buzzing sound filled her head for a second. _Wh-what's going on?_ She wondered.

The buzzing came again and this time Natalie could swear that she heard a voice along with it.

 _What was that?_ Natalie turned to look around again. She thought about calling out, but she remembered that her voice didn't travel outside her suit. She'd have to remove her helmet. She reached for the clasp at her neck.

" _Down here!"_ The voice suddenly spoke again. It sounded like someone was yelling from really far away.

Natalie looked down at Morgan again. The mouse was standing completely still, except for her tail, which gave an occasional twitch.

" _Yes! Down here!"_

 _Morgan?_ Natalie's eyes widened as the mouse reared up on its hind legs.

The mouse stiffened suddenly. "N? Is that you?" Morgan's voice filled her head.

Natalie bit her lip, Morgan could hear her thoughts! Natalie desperately scrambled to clear her mind. If Morgan could read her mind like Merlin could, then all if would take for her to learn Natalie's identity was a single stray thought. She saw Morgan tilted her head, as if confused.

 _Yes, it's me!_ She projected her mental voice towards Morgan. _Where are Jack and Annie?"_

" _They left the base. You need to get them back here!"_ Morgan sounded desperate.

" _They must have left to look for the fourth ingredient needed to break the spell"_ Natalie realized.

" _ **I**_ _am the fourth ingredient!"_ Morgan said.

" _What?"_ Now Natalie was confused.

" _The final key needed to break the spell is a mouse."_ Morgan explained.

" _Oh, so Jack and Annie didn't have to leave the moon base at all!"_ Natalie realized.

" _No, but they did anyway. I can't go after them out there. Can you find them and bring them back?"_ Morgan asked, and Natalie could sense genuine concern in the librarian's voice. " _They have been gone a long time already"_

" _I'll get right on it"_ Natalie nodded at Morgan, then turned and retraced her steps out of the chamber.

"Merlin, can you hear me?" Natalie said over her radio as she headed back down the hallway towards the airlock.

" _I hear you, what is happening?"_ Merlin replied.

"I can't find Jack and Annie anywhere, they must have left the base" Natalie reported.

She heard a frustrated sigh over the radio. _"They had no reason to leave, everything they needed was already there_ " Merlin said.

"But maybe they didn't know that. They might have thought they needed a special moon rock, or something" Natalie pointed out as she stood before the airlock door and pressed the _open_ button. "Besides, Annie likes to try new things, and Jack wants to be a scientist" She added with a grin. "There's no way either of them could resist a chance to explore the surface of the moon"

" _Yes, I should have realized that"_ Natalie could practically hear Merlin shaking his head as he spoke. " _Natalie, you need to find your cousins and get them back to the base so they can break the spell"_

"Don't worry Merlin, I'll find them" Natalie said as the airlock door opened and she stepped into the airlock chamber.

 _Sure, that's easy to say!_ Natalie thought, fighting down the sudden rush of uncertainty she was feeling as the door closed behind her and the door in front of her opened a few seconds later.

Pausing in the entranceway, Natalie bent down and looked closely at the ground. If she remembered correctly, not having any atmosphere meant that there was no wind or rain on the moon, which meant that if her cousins had left any footprints in the dusty landscape, she could just follow them.

The problem was…there were _lots and lots_ of footprints around the doorway! Natalie growled in frustration as she stepped out and the door slid shut behind her. Her eyes scanned the abundance of footprints around her, all going off in different directions. How would she ever determine which set belonged to her cousins?

Natalie looked around, desperately searching for some sort of hint that could tell her where her cousins had gone, but couldn't see anything. She was just straightening up again when she noticed something. Some footprints were clearer to her than others were in her vision, while others looked distorted or were half-covered by other footprints.

 _Oh, I get it! Newer footprints are made on top of older footprints._ Natalie thought. _So, if I can find the freshest-looking set of footprints, they might be Jack and Annie's._

Natalie carefully scanned the dusty ground around her, slowly turning in a circle, her eyes darting from one pair of prints to another one.

 _There!_ Natalie paused as she saw a set of prints clearly outlined in the dust, as if whoever made them had been standing still for a long time. Also, they were smaller than most of the surrounding footprints.

 _Jack!_ Natalie grinned as she imagined her cousin standing there, gazing around in awe at the white landscape, or perhaps reading from the moon book, which he _must_ have brought out with him. She giggled. It was like she was actually _thinking_ like Jack.

Straightening up, Natalie looked in the direction her cousin had been facing and spotted another set of small footprints further away, heading towards a small crater. It looked like her cousin had started leaping after something.

 _Maybe Annie got impatient waiting for him and snatched his book away!_ Natalie chuckled to herself. She could easily see that happening.

 _Well, this is as good a direction to go as any!_ Natalie started towards the crater, moving slowly. She half floated-half walked as she scanned the ground for more traces that her cousins might have left.

At the edge of the shallow crater, Natalie spotted two impressions in the dust. Landing next to them, she slowly and carefully knelt down to get a better look. One was oddly square-shaped. _Like a book!_ Natalie realized. The other impression was bigger, big enough to be a body shape. Maybe Jack or Annie had dropped the Moon book and had fallen over while trying to pick it up.

Natalie giggled as the scenario played out in her head. It seemed so vivid Natalie actually felt like it was happening in front of her.

" _Is everything well, Natalie?"_ Mordu's voice interrupted Natalie's vision.

 _Oops!_ Natalie had forgotten she was wired for sound. "Yes, I think I found Jack and Annie's trail" She said.

" _Good, keep it up"_ Mordu said.

 _Oh, I will!_ Natalie grinned as she straightened up and looked around.

The footprints lead from the impressions down to the center of the crater. As Natalie hopped after then, she suddenly noticed the footprints end, where a set of tire tracks began. Whoever had made them had acquired some form of transportation.

As Natalie landed next to the tire tracks, she checked her air gauge readout. Less than 2 hrs. of air left. She had been out here longer than she thought.

 _I'd better find my cousins quick!_ Natalie realized as she hit the ignition switch o the jetpack and launched up into lunar sky. Angling her body, she zoomed off in the direction the tire tracks were heading.

Natalie rocketed over the rocky ground, her gaze flitting constantly from the obstacles ahead of her to the ground below her, following the tire tracks. Once or twice, she lost sight of them, but she eventually found them again.

Ahead, Natalie saw the tracks go into a pass between two large mountains. She slowed her speed, and eyed the approaching opening warily. Something about it was making her hesitate. She felt that it would be too small for her. Almost instinctively, she altered her direction, increased her speed, and rocketed up over the mountains.

When she crested the top, she zoomed back down the other side, but when she reached the ground again, she saw that the tracks had disappeared.

 _Aw man, seriously?_ Natalie groaned, glancing around in a fruitless attempt to find the tire tracks again. The ground on this side of the mountains seemed even rocker than on the other side, making the tracks even harder to find.

Groaning, Natalie lifted her head and scanned the horizon, and froze. In the middle of the bleak expanse that filled her vision, Natalie spied a flash of color. Puzzled, she flew towards it.

As she moved, she saw a large cloud of dust rise up from a flat piece of land next to a large crater, and quickly move away from her.

 _Other people?_ Natalie wondered. She thought about following the dust cloud, but the colors were brighter now, and she decided to see what they were first.

 _If that was another person, I can always pick up their trail later,_ Natalie thought as she leaned back and cut off the jet pack's ignition.

Natalie blinked in surprise. Ahead of her was a flat area of the moon with a few small craters, some large boulders, and an _American flag_.

"Wow" Natalie breathed as she landed a few feet away from the flag, which was standing next to a telescope on a stand. The telescope was aimed at the direction that Natalie had come from and was surrounded by kid-sized footprints.

Next to it was a sign, which read

' **HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH**

 **FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON**

 **JULY 1969 AD**

 **WE CAME IN PEACE**

 **FOR ALL MANKIND'**

"Cool" Natalie said under her breath as she read the sign. She turned to look at the flag, imagining the brave men setting it up for everyone to see.

Natalie blinked. There was something at the base of the flagpole. A piece of paper.

Natalie slowly knelt and picked it up. It resembled a sheet of notebook paper. It looked tiny in her massive hands.

Squinting against the light, Natalie could just make out words, written in big letters on the paper;

' **TODAY THE FIRST KIDS FROM THE PLANET EARTH**

 **CAME TO THE MOON.**

 **WE CAME IN PEACE**

 **FOR ALL CHILDREN'**

 **JACK**

 **ANNIE**

Natalie burst out laughing as she read over Jack and Annie's note. "Seriously?" She chuckled. "You two are too much!"

" _Natalie, what is going on?"_ Mordu's voice crackled over the radio.

Trying to contain her laugher, Natalie told Mordu and Merlin what she had found.

" _Ah, the landing site of the Apollo spacecraft. I have heard about these missions. A remarkable achievement, considering the technology they possessed at that time."_ Mordu commented.

"It's so cute that Jack and Annie would leave their own message in the same style as the Apollo astronauts" Natalie giggled.

" _Natalie, you must remove that message, do not leave it there"_ Merlin instructed

"How come?" Natalie asked.

" _The work that you do for me, and that which your cousins do for Morgan, is meant to be secret_ " Merlin explained. " _If this message is found, many questions will arise. Questions that your cousins may not be prepared to answer."_

"I understand" Natalie said as she stuffed the paper into a pocket of her suit. She felt guilty that she was ruining her cousin's moment of glory, but she knew Merlin was right. If astronauts found this, and somehow traced it back to Jack and Annie, her cousins would have a lot of explaining to do.

" _Have you found your cousins yet_?" Mordu asked.

"No, but if they were just here, they can't be too far away. Hang on a minute" Natalie said as she began to look around.

Scanning the ground around the site, Natalie soon found tire tracks that matched the ones from before. They approached the site, then went in a circle and backtracked in the direction they had come from.

 _So that's where the dust cloud had come from_ , Natalie realized. She wondered if her cousins had seen her through the telescope and had been scared away.

Natalie checked her gauges. The jetpack's fuel levels, while not problematic, were lower than she would have liked. _Guess I'll walk back._ She decided.

"I think I've found Jack and Annie's trail. I'm gonna follow it" Natalie announced as she started off in the direction the tracks had come from, walking in long, leaping strides.

" _Very well, but be careful, and watch your air supply"_ Mordu warned.

Natalie didn't need to be told twice. Every few seconds, her gaze darted to the air gauge. According to her readings, she had less than one hour of air left. _I'd better find them soon._ She thought.

With long, leaping steps, Natalie followed the tire tracks as they wound around craters and large rocks, headed back in the direction of the moon base.

 _I wonder if Jack and Annie found what they thought they were looking for,_ Natalie thought as she followed the tracks towards a small pass in the mountains she had flown over earlier. She wondered if there was some way she could help them recognize that that already had everything they needed.

Suddenly, Natalie saw a moon buggy parked ahead of her. It was the source of the tire tracks. It was scratched and slightly battered, its wide tires were covered with dust. It was also empty.

 _Huh, where did Jack and Annie go?_ Natalie wondered as she looked around. There was no sign of her cousins anywhere, but Natalie did notice that a large rock seemed to be blocking the pass, preventing the buggy from going through it.

Natalie knelt down to look for footprints in the dusty ground and instantly spotted two sets of them. They both clustered around the buggy at first, then they moved towards the big rock in long steps, as if Jack and Annie had been running.

Natalie looked at the footprints, then raised her head to look at the big rock blocking the pass. _Hmm, I wonder_. She thought.

Activating her suit's jetpack, Natalie soared over the wall of moon rock. She gasped.

Jack and Annie were below her, both lying face down in the thick dust. As Natalie watched, she saw Jack try to stand up, but he didn't seem to be able to.

"Oh, good grief!" Natalie giggled as she watched Jack try again, with the same result. "Mordu! I found them!" She called over her radio.

" _Good, what is there location?"_ Mordu's voice came back.

From her vantage point, Natalie looked around, she saw the moon base in the distance, she estimated it was about a mile or so way. "They're not too far from the moon base, but they've both fallen over" She reported, maneuvering over them with gentle taps of the jetpack's controls. "It doesn't look like they can get up on their own. I'm going in"

" _Very well, but remember, your radio is not synched with theirs"_ Mordu reminded her. " _You will not be able to hear each other"_

" _And keep your identity secret"_ Merlin added

"Got it" Natalie signed off as she hit the cutoff switch, causing the jetpack to shut off. She slowly dropped to the dusty surface below, landing directly in front of Annie.

Natalie knelt to examine her cousin. Annie's suit looked exactly like the traditional astronaut suits she had seen in books. It was all white except for a red stripe in the center of her helmet. Annie's visor was transparent, meaning Natalie could see her face. Natalie chuckled at her cousin's wide-eyed expression as the two stared at each other.

Annie's lips started moving, and Natalie saw Jack make another effort to get up. Natalie turned to look at him. Jack was also lying face down, but he was facing away from them.

Turning back to Annie, Natalie slowly knelt, took Annie's hands in her own, and carefully pulled Annie to her feet, brushing some of the dust off her cousin as she did so.

Annie looked up at Natalie and her lips began moving again. She pointed to Jack, signaling that she needed to help him. Natalie nodded to show she understood and watched as Annie hopped over to Jack and helped pull him to his feet.

"You okay, Jack?" Natalie said as Jack turned to look at her. Jack's visor was also transparent and Natalie could see Jack's eyes looking her over.

Jack's lips started moving, but Natalie couldn't hear him talk either. When she didn't reply, Jack looked at Annie, who tapped the side of her helmet.

Natalie smiled, Annie understood that they couldn't hear each other. She watched as Jack reached into his backpack and pulled out his notebook and a pencil.

Jack carefully wrote a message on a piece of paper, tore it off his notebook, and handed both it and the pencil to Natalie.

Carefully taking them in her large hands, Natalie studied the note, it read:

 **We're Jack and Annie. We come in peace from America. Who are you?**

Natalie laughed as she read it. But she knew that time was short. Her helmet display read that she had less than 30 minutes of air remaining, and she suspected that Jack and Annie were low as well.

She looked at the paper, and then at the pencil. She smiled as an idea suddenly came to her. She turned the paper over.

Taking care not to tear the paper, Natalie began to carefully draw stars on the page, in the faint outline of a mouse. When she had finished, she handed the paper and pencil back to Jack.

"Good luck, you two" Natalie said as she turned away and pressed the ignition switch. The jetpack fired up and Natalie left the moon's surface with a jerk and shot towards the mountains where Mordu's ship was parked.

"Mordu, I gave Jack and Annie something that should help them save Morgan. I'm heading back to the ship now" She called.

" _Understood. Merlin has already returned. We will be waiting for you"_ Mordu's deep voice crackled.

"Returned? Where did he go?" Natalie asked. He wasn't aware that Merlin had left the ship.

" _He said he was going to make absolutely certain that your cousins have everything they need to break the spell, I think he is most anxious to have this matter sorted"_ Mordu said.

 _Makes sense_ , Natalie thought as she flew back towards Mordu's ship. But in the back of her mind, she wondered why Merlin was taking such an interest in Helping Morgan. Weren't they supposed to be rivals?

Pushing the thought aside, Natalie glanced around at the star-spangled sky around her, knowing that soon she would have to leave it. She sighed happily. Mordu was right, this view really was breathtaking. She was going to miss it.

All too soon, Mordu's ship appeared ahead of her, steel-gray against the surrounding bone-white rocks. The hatch opened and Natalie powered inside.

As she landed on the metal floor and cut the Jetpack's ignition, the door behind her closed and she suddenly felt gravity come back. She staggered a little, leaning against the wall as jets of air hissed out of hidden ports in the walls.

After a few minutes, there was an electronic _beep_ and the door in front of her opened, revealing Mordu standing there, a smile on his face. Merlin stood next to him, also smiling.

" _Welcome back Natalie_ " Mordu said, reaching over and unlocking Natalie's helmet, pulling it off.

"Ahhh! That feels good" Natalie sighed as fresh air flowed over her face.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Merlin asked as Mordu moved to unlock Natalie's gloves and boots.

"Oh Merlin, it was amazing being out there!" Natalie exclaimed as she stepped out of the suit and set it down on the floor, taking great care not to damage the jetpack. "It was…almost magical"

Merlin's smile widened. "Speaking of magical, I believe your cousins have reached the moon base by now. Shall we watch them free Morgan?"

"Sure!" Natalie said.

"First things first, though" Merlin raised his staff and pointed it at her. A blinding light erupted from the tip, making Natalie shut her eyes. She felt another tingling sensation coarse through her body, and when she opened her eyes again, she was back to regular size.

"Awww, I liked being bigger" Natalie teased, flashing Merlin a grin.

"Sorry Natalie, but I could not let you go home like that, we need to keep appearances" Merlin smiled back as the three of them made their way back to the main chamber.

"How…exactly are we going to watch Morgan be freed?" Natalie asked as they gathered in the center of the chamber.

" _I admit I am most curious as to how this will occur as well"_ Mordu added. " _Out of respect for the humans, I have never entered their base, and thus I have no way of seeing what occurs within it."_

Merlin didn't answer. He just smiled. Then he raised his staff, murmured an incantation Natalie couldn't hear, and swung his staff in an arc.

Natalie gasped as a trail of white light followed the tip of Merlin's staff. As he finished the arc, light streamed down from the trail to the floor of the chamber.

As Natalie stared at the wall of light before them, an image appeared within it, showing the inside of the tree house.

"Oh, _that's_ how" She said, smiling at Merlin.

" _Most impressive"_ Mordu commented.

"Hey look!" Natalie suddenly saw movement in the image. Morgan appeared on top of a stack of books. She seemed to be staring right at them.

Seeing Morgan gazing at her, Natalie's thrill faded a little. "Uh Merlin, does Morgan… _know_ that we're watching her?"

"She may sense my magic" Merlin said, his eyes staring back at the little mouse. "But it shouldn't matter now."

"It doesn't?" Natalie wasn't sure what Merlin was getting at, but his voice had become surprisingly hard.

" _We're back, Peanut!"_ Annie's voice rang out, causing Natalie to look back at the image before them. She saw Jack and Annie crawl through the tree house window.

" _Squeak!"_ Morgan appeared on the center of the M.

" _We missed you!"_ Annie scooped Morgan up and patted her head. _"Guess what? We met a moon man!"_ she tuned to Jack. _"Do you have the map?"_

" _Right here"_ Jack placed the sheet of paper on the M, next to the moonstone, the mango, and the mammoth bone.

"Map? "Natalie groaned. "Oh no, they didn't understand the hint I gave them!"

" _What did you give them?"_ asked Mordu.

"I drew stars, in the outline of a mouse, like a constellation." Natalie explained.

" _That was clever_ " Mordu chuckled.

" _Too_ clever" Natalie groaned. "They must not have gotten the message"

" _Hand me the Pennsylvania book"_ Jack's voice drew their attention back to the image.

" _It's not here"_ Annie finally said.

" _What?"_ Jack sounded surprised.

"No surprise there" Natalie shook her head as she watched Jack and Annie looking around the tree house.

" _It's definitely not here"_ Annie finally said.

" _Oh no"_ Natalie could see Jack's face in the M. He looked crestfallen. He silently picked up the star map and studied it.

"Come on Jack, think!" Natalie muttered under her breath. "The answer's right in front of you, you just have to _see_ it!"

" _Squeak! Squeak!"_ Morgan leapt of out Annie's arms and raced across the M.

"It appears Morgan is trying to help them" Merlin commented, he looked amused.

"I hope she can" Natalie held her breath as she saw Jack glanced from the star map to Morgan.

" _I've got an idea"_ He said finally, and pulled his pencil from his backpack.

" _What are you doing?"_ said Annie.

" _I think this is a constellation"_ Jack said. " _A picture of stars that are all supposed to be connected"_

"YES!" Natalie cheered, clapping her hands together "He got it!"

" _It would appear so_ " Mordu chuckled as they watched Jack slowly trace the stars on the map.

" _Let me see"_ Annie said when Jack had finished. Jack held out the paper.

" _It looks like a mouse_ " Annie said

" _Yeah, it does"_ Jack agreed.

Both siblings glanced at the paper.

"Come on, come on" Natalie urged.

" _Is there such a thing as a mouse constellation?"_ Annie asked.

" _I don't think so…"_ said Jack.

" _Squeak! Squeak!"_ Jack and Annie looked at Morgan, who was sitting on the M.

Annie's eyes suddenly lit up. _"Oh wow"_ She whispered _. "I think I know what the fourth thing is, Jack"_

" _Me too"_ Jack was grinning from ear to ear. _"It's a…"_

" _ **Mouse!**_ " They said together.

"YES! They figured it out!" Natalie cheered. Merlin nodded in agreement.

" _Squeak! Squeak!"_ Morgan appeared to be cheering too.

" _So maybe the spell is- moonstone, mango, mammoth bone, mouse."_ Jack said as he touched each of the four items. As soon as he had said that, the M on the floor beneath them seemed to shimmer for a moment.

" _Let's say it over and over and see what happens"_ Annie sounded excited.

Natalie held her breath as her two cousins chanted:

" _Moonstone, mango, mammoth bone, mouse!_

 _Moonstone, mango, mammoth bone, mouse!"_

A bright light suddenly shone from the image, forcing Natalie, Merlin, and Mordu to look away.

" _Great Galaxies!"_ Mordu exclaimed as the light became blinding.

Natalie screwed up her eyes against the light. She heard roaring wind, like the very air inside the tree house was spinning.

Then the light suddenly faded.

Blinking rapidly, Natalie waited for her vision to clear, and grinned.

Through the image, she could see Peanut the Mouse was gone, and Morgan la Fay stood in human form before her cousins.

" _Jack, Annie, thank you"_ She said in a soft voice. _"You have freed me from the magician's spell"_

"All right!" Natalie cheered. Mordu grinned happily. Merlin however, looked somewhat stoic.

Jack and Annie stared at Morgan.

" _You were Peanut?"_ Annie broke the silence.

Morgan smiled and nodded.

" _Really? You were with us all the time? On all our missions?"_ Annie asked.

Morgan nodded again.

" _I don't understand"_ Jack sounded puzzled. _"If the last thing we needed to find was a mouse, why did we have to come here at all?"_

"That's a good question" Natalie looked at Merlin, who didn't look back at her. His gaze was focused on the image.

" _To break the spell, we needed to be on the surface of the moon"_ Morgan explained. _"You could have broken it the moment we arrived."_

" _Oh, that's what Peanut-I mean you, were trying to tell us!"_ Annie said. _"We didn't have to leave the moon base at all"_

Morgan nodded again.

"And that's also why you didn't think I needed to go after them this time" Natalie reasoned, turning to Merlin. "You thought they would solve the puzzle right away"

"Indeed" Merlin nodded, though his gaze did not leave the image before them. "But I see now that I was wrong, and I am glad you persuaded me to let you come along"

" _Likewise_ ," Mordu nodded his big blocky head.

"Me too" Natalie grinned at Mordu. It had been fun getting to know the big friendly alien and rocketing around on the moon with his gear.

" _But the moon man came along to help us."_ Said Annie, and Natalie felt herself grin. " _He drew a constellation of a mouse. Is he a friend of yours?"_

"I'd like to think so" Natalie said, glancing at Merlin. He didn't reply, but he looked thoughtful.

" _Let's just say we had a little chat"_ Morgan spoke, regaining Natalie's attention. _"He stopped by the moon base while you were out"_

" _The same way you had a talk with the Ninja Master, right?"_ Jack theorized. _"And the monkey, and the sorcerer?"_

Morgan nodded. _"I always squeaked to those who could assist you"_

" _But how could they understand you-a mouse?"_ Jack asked.

Morgan smiled again and her eyes seemed to twinkle _. "Certain wise ones can understand the language of little creatures"_

Natalie chuckled at this.

" _I'll bet it was you who turned the pages in the books, to show us where we needed to go next"_ said Annie.

Morgan nodded.

" _But who turned you into a mouse in the first place?"_ said Annie.

Natalie leaned forward eagerly, she had been wondering the same thing herself ever since their adventure in the Amazon, when she had learned that Peanut was Morgan.

She saw Morgan frown in the image. _"A certain person who likes to play tricks on me"_ She said, her voice growing tight. _"His name is Merlin"_

" _What?"_ Natalie gasped, turning to look at Merlin, who looked a tad embarrassed.

" _Merlin?"_ Jack sounded awestruck. " _As in THE Merlin? He's the greatest magician who ever lived!"_

Morgan sniffed. " _He's not that great, although he would certainly like you to think so"_ She said.

Natalie was stunned "I…I don't believe it! Merlin, _you_ did this? But _why_?"

Merlin did not answer right away, instead he waved his staff in front of the image, which dissolved in a shower of sparkles.

"It is true, that I am the one who transformed Morgan into a mouse" Merlin said, turning to face Natalie and Mordu, "And it is also true that I am ultimately responsible for your cousins having to complete these four missions in order to free her, but I assure you it was never my intention to put them, or you, in any danger."

"But why would you do this at all?" Natalie asked again.

" _I must confess I am also puzzled."_ Mordu agreed. _"Rash behavior such as this is not like you, Merlin"_

Merlin was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "Natalie, do you remember how angry I was when you told me that Morgan had trapped you in a prison of air?" He asked.

Natalie felt a shudder move through her as she remembered. "Yeah, you were pretty mad"' She said.

"Indeed, and for good reason" Merlin's gaze became hard. "That spell is meant to be used _only_ on the most dangerous of enemies. To learn that Morgan had the audacity to use it on you, a child who wished no harm on anyone, was…unacceptable. I felt that Morgan needed to be taught a lesson about abusing magic"

"Wait, so you're saying that the reason you turned her into a mouse was because you were angry at her for imprisoning _me_?" Natalie head seemed to swim at the thought that Merlin had done all this…for _her?_

"That is correct, Natalie." Merlin nodded at her. "While it is true that I may have acted irrationally, in my eyes, so had she, and I wanted her to learn the consequences of acting without thinking"

"Merlin, two wrongs _do not_ make a right. Even _I_ know that!" Natalie said, but she felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth.

"I admit I may have overreacted a little" Merlin agreed sheepishly.

" _A little?_ " Natalie exclaimed, crossing her hands. "I'd say you overreacted a lot!"

" _That would be my observation as well"_ Mordu rumbled, shaking his block-like head.

"Perhaps" Merlin said, smiling now. "But do not try to tell me, Natalie, that you did not enjoy yourself on these adventures."

This time, Natalie couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face.

"Okay, I admit. It was fun to be a ninja, a monkey, a mammoth and a…moon man" She directed the last phrase towards Mordu, who smiled in response.

" _It sounds like you have had many interesting voyages with Merlin"_ Mordu said, and Natalie thought she heard a sense of longing in the alien's voice. " _I would deeply enjoy hearing about them"_

"As delightful as that is, Mordu, I'm afraid that may not be possible right now" Merin shook his head "I sense that Morgan, Jack, and Annie, have already departed. I suggest that we should do the same"

"Yeah, I suppose we'd better. It wouldn't do well for Jack and Annie to find me gone when they get home" Natalie sighed. She hated to leave Mordu and his ship. She hated to leave the moon, but she knew she had to.

" _I understand"_ Mordu rumbled, as if reading Natalie's thoughts. " _I am sorry to see you go as well, but you have other duties to attend to, and I must return to mine"_

"It was great to meet you, Mordu" Natalie stepped up to the giant alien and extended her hand.

" _And it was a pleasure to meet you, Natalie. Perhaps our paths will cross again one day"_ Mordu's giant hand enveloped Natalie's, but he shook it with such gentleness Natalie could barely feel his grip.

"I'd like that, but…unless I decide to come back to the mon for a visit, I don't really see that happening" Natalie said sheepishly. She bit her lip, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth.

But Mordu didn't seem phased at all. " _The universe works in mysterious ways Natalie"_ He said, and his purple eyes seemed to twinkle with some hidden knowledge. _"One never really knows what is going to happen next, do they?"_

"No, I suppose not" Natalie grinned up at the alien.

"Natalie, are you ready?" Merlin called from the center of the chamber.

Sighing, Natalie pulled her hand out of Mordu's grip and crossed the chamber to stand by Merlin's side.

"I'm ready" She said.

Merlin nodded at her, then turned to Mordu. "Until next time, my friend" He called.

" _Until next time"_ Mordu nodded. Though his face betrayed no expression, Natalie thought he looked solemn.

Merlin raised his staff and murmured words that Natalie couldn't hear. A shower of white light erupted from the staff's tip and swirled around both Natalie and Merlin.

"Bye Mordu!" Natalie called over the sudden rushing of wind that filled the chamber. She waved her hand.

Natalie saw Mordu's mouth move, but couldn't hear his response. But she saw Mordu wave his hand, before blinding white light filled her vision.

The rushing wind swelled to a roar. Natalie pressed close to Merlin and shut her eyes.

Then everything was calm. Completely calm.

Natalie opened her eyes. They were back in Merlin's study.

"I _still_ can't believe that _you_ ultimately caused all this, Merlin" Natalie turned to look at the magician.

Merlin met her gaze unflinchingly. "I understand your frustration. You have every reason to be angry with me, Natalie." He said.

"Gee, you think?" Natalie placed her hands on her hips, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"It seems that Morgan is correct after all" Merlin said, and he gave Natalie a sad smile. "I'm not as great as I believed myself to be"

"No, I guess not" Natalie agreed, but then she smiled and flung her arms around Merlin.

"Wh-what is this for?" Merlin was surprised.

Natalie looked up into the magician's face. "But it means so much that you did this all for me." She confessed. Her eyes watered as she spoke. "No one's _ever_ done anything like that for me before. Thank you"

Merlin stiffened, then smiled. "You are welcome."

"But, maybe we don't let this become a habit, okay?" Natalie giggled.

Merlin smiled. "You have my solemn word" He promised.

Natalie chuckled and smiled up at the magician. "My father used to say that we never stop learning important lessons in life, even when we grow up" She said. That had been one of her father's favorite quotes.

For a moment, Natalie saw the face of her father float before her, wearing a satisfied smile.

Merlin nodded, no longer smiling. "Your father sounds like a wise man."

"He was" Natalie's smile also faded as her gaze fell to the floor. "Both my parents were wise"

For a moment, neither of them said anything, the study was wrapped in a blanket of mournful silence.

Natalie finally cleared her throat, breaking the spell. "There's something else I don't get either"

"What is that?" Merlin asked.

"Where did that moon base come from?" Natalie asked. "I didn't know anything about it, and I had a friend back in Chicago who keeps _close_ track of developments like this. If there was a base constructed on the moon, she would have known about it and told me"

Merlin's smiled widened. "Not if it has yet to be built" He answered mysteriously.

"Huh?" Natalie tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Natalie, the moon base does not exist yet. But it will, in the future"

"The…the _future?"_ Natalie gasped. "You mean we actually went _forward_ in time instead of _backward?"_

"That is correct" Merlin nodded. "Not something I do often, mind you"

Natalie blinked at the hard tone in Merlin's words. "How come?"

"Traveling forward in time, while possible, is trickier than traveling backwards. I cannot fully explain it to you now, but it is much more difficult and requires much more energy." Merlin explained. "This is why my visits to Mordu are not very frequent."

"I see" Natalie nodded, her head still buzzing about the fact she had just traveled into the future, instead of to the past as she had on all her other adventures. "Do you think there will be any more missions to the future?"

Merlin shook his head. "That is unlikely. Even Morgan and I do not presume to know too much about, or interfere with, what is yet to come"

"But why not?" Natalie was unable to stop her growing excitement. "It must be great to know about the future!" She thought about how successful, how helpful, she could be to her friends and family if she knew everything that was going to happen, _before_ it actually happened.

"It can be at first, but then once you learn about what is to come, you become burdened with the knowledge of knowing that what you have seen or heard _will_ occur, no matter how much you may hate it, or wish that it would not happen. No matter what you try, or how hard you try to stop it, it _will_ happen. Many have been compelled to commit terrible deeds against family or friends in order to protect them, only to realize that they have in-fact helped cause the fate they were trying to avoid. Such realization can drive men mad, or worse" Merlin's ice-blue eyes were filled with sadness as he spoke. "Do not succumb to such desires Natalie, they will only bring you pain and suffering in the end"

Natalie gulped nervously, shivering despite the warmth of the study they were in "Yes Merlin, I understand" She said in a choked voice as she gazed down at her hands, which she was wringing together, a nervous habit she had picked up from her mother.

"Good, now I must return to Camelot before Morgan does, and I sense that she is preparing to depart momentarily so I must say goodbye now." Merlin said, placing a hand on Natalie's shoulder.

Natalie slowly raised her head. "Will…will I see you again?" She asked.

Merlin smiled. "If the fates are willing, then it will be so"' He said simply, and motioned towards the alcove that lead outside.

Sighing, Natalie crossed the chamber and placed her hands on the wall of the entrance alcove and the crack of light appeared before her. Pulling open the secret door, she stepped out into the moon-lit woods. The door closed behind her.

Natalie glanced up and saw her cousins climbing down the rope ladder. She darted into the bushes and crouched down.

She watched through the leaves as Jack and Annie reached the ground.

The wind started to blow, the trees around her started to shake.

A loud roar filled Natalie's ears. A bright light shone between the trees.

Natalie squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands over her ears.

Then all was quiet and still.

Natalie opened her eyes and looked up.

Where the tree house had been, there was now only moonlight.

"Bye Morgan" Natalie heard Jack say.

"Bye Peanut" Annie said. Both her cousins sounded sad.

Natalie sighed as she watched her cousins stare up at the spot where the tree house had been. She wished that she could join them, but she knew that she couldn't.

"Ready?" Annie finally asked.

"Ready" Jack replied and they turned away.

Natalie followed her cousins through the trees. The cool, moist midnight air pressed down and seemed to hide Natalie's footsteps. The only sounds she could hear was the sound of night insects singing to each other.

Jack and Annie left the woods, they started up their street.

Keeping to the tree line, Natalie followed. She ducked behind a tree as Jack and Annie paused near a streetlight. Both her cousins were staring up at the moon.

"The moon looks really far away, doesn't it?" She heard Annie say.

Jack just nodded.

"I wonder how the moon man can be up there all alone" Annie said.

Natalie raised an eyebrow. Was Annie talking about Mordu?

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"I mean, who helps him put on his spacesuit?" Asked Annie. "Who helps him get up when he falls down?"

 _I think he can take care of himself_ , Natalie thought with a smile.

"And who is he?" Jack added.

"Who do you think he was?" Annie looked at Jack.

"He must be a scientist, or maybe an astronaut from Earth" Jack said.

Annie shook her head. "No, I think he's an alien, from another galaxy"

Natalie's eyes widened, then she covered her mouth to stifle the giggle in her chest. _If they only knew_ , she thought.

Jack gave a quiet laugh. "What makes you think that?"

"I just…feel it" Annie said.

Natalie raised an eyebrow as she remembered what Morgan had said about Annie after their pirate adventure, about how Annie believed in what others didn't.

 _Hmmm, I wonder what else Annie believes in that's real_ , Natalie thought as she thought as she watched her cousins tiptoe inside the house. Only when the door was shut did she come out of hiding.

Natalie crossed the yard to the back door and fished out her key from her pocket. She unlocked the back door.

Before she went in, however, she glanced up at the full moon, hanging in the dark sky above.

 _Poor Mordu_ , she thought, thinking back to the granite-skinned alien. _For all he knows, that conflict he was talking about might have ended a long time ago, and no one bothered to tell him. And yet he'll always stay at his post. It's a good thing that Merlin goes to see him every now and then!_

Natalie couldn't imagine being alone up there for years and years at a time. She would go crazy!

"Good night Mordu" Natalie smiled at the moon as she stepped inside and closed the door.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **WHEW! FINALLY! I managed to wrangle together the inspiration to write out this story. I know I had promised to get it done by Christmas, but I had finals, Christmas shopping, other work commitments, and a REALLY bad cold to deal with, so please forgive me for not keeping my original deadline.**

 **Still, it's somewhat poetic that I managed to get this done on New Years Day. Which reminds me, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope that the year 2018 will be happy and productive for all of my readers!**

 **And so we come to the end of ARC 2. ARC 3 is in production, but I plan to focus on other stories for a while so it will be some time before I begin to upload to this story again. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't stop listening to any ideas you might have. Please send in your thoughts!**

 **One thing that I wanted to highlight in this story was the fact that, in the series, this is the only adventure (that I know of) where the characters travel to the future. For most adventures, they go to the past, and for a handful they have traveled to somewhere in the present day, but they never go to the future again, and I wanted to come up with an explanation for why that is the case. This is actually my own reasoning, and is why I do not generally visit fortune-tellers and things like that. I have no desire to know what the future holds, because I will not be able to stop thinking about it if I do know.** **Also, I wanted to play on the fact that Annie thinks that the moon man that helped her was an alien, hence the creation of Mordu. Inspiration for him came from the GARGOYLES Disney animated series (good show, I recommend watching it!), specifically one episode involving Easter Island.**

 **Somebody posted some time ago that they thought Natalie was going to be mad with Merlin when she found out that he was to blame for Morgan's transformation. Sorry, this probably wasn't the level of anger you had in mind, but I wanted Natalie to understand that Merlin had done all this to teach Morgan a lesson because he believed she acted irrationally when she had imprisoned Natalie in a prison of air during the pirates adventure. Thus, the fact that Merlin did this to 'avenge her', so to speak, leaves Natalie feeling more happy than angry. Hope that makes sense.**

 **That's all for now. Keep on reading and writing!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	9. Dolphins at Daybreak

**Magic Tree House- The Hidden Helper**

Dolphins at Daybreak

"This is so pretty, mom!" Natalie giggled as she held up a shiny necklace. "I love it!"

Natalie felt a cool hand on her shoulder and looked up into a smiling face with bright eyes.

"If you think it's pretty _now,_ just wait until you look inside it" Her mother said.

Natalie felt her eyes widen and she eagerly examine the trinket in her hands. Sure enough, she soon discovered a tiny clasp on one side.

Natalie clicked it and the necklace opened. Inside were two pictures, one of each of her parents.

"Oh wow!" Natalie grinned as she gazed at her parent's faces in her new locket. "I love it!"

"You already said that" Her mother teased.

"But now I love it _more_!" Natalie chuckled as she flung her arms around her mother.

Natalie's father laughed from the front seat of the car. "See Sally? I told you she's love it"

Natalie looked up as her mother laughed too. "Forgive me Michael, but I believe _I_ told _you_ she'd love it"

Her father glanced back, a playful grin on his face. "No you didn't, _I_ told _you_!"

Natalie heard her parents continue to bicker back and forth, but Natalie had stopped listening, because something had caught her attention. A pair of lights had appeared on the dark road in front of them, visible through the sheets of rain. They looked like giant eyes, and they seemed to be looking right at her!

Natalie blinked and shook her head, but when she looked again the eyes were still there, and they seemed to be getting closer.

Natalie felt her smile fade away as she raised a trembling hand. "Um, Dad? What's that?" She said, pointing at the lights.

Natalie suddenly felt her mother stiffen beside her. A pair of gasps filled the car.

PAAAAARRRRRRRPPP! A loud horn cut through the air, followed by a low rumble.

"MICHAEL LOOK OUT!" Her mother screamed. The lights suddenly seemed to suddenly get much brighter.

"WHAT IS THAT FOOL DOING? HE'S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!" Her father yelled as he spun the wheel. The car swerved sharply, throwing Natalie back against her seat.

"Mommy! Daddy! What's happening?" Natalie heard herself scream as the lights disappeared for a moment, then reappeared, _a lot_ closer now!

"MICHAEL, DO SOMETHING!" Her mother screamed.

"I'M TRYING!" Her father yelled back.

Natalie was pressed into her seat as her father swerved again, but this time the lights didn't disappear.

"PAAAAARRRP! PPPPAARRRPPPP!" The horn sounded again, this time much louder. Now Natalie could see that the lights were attached to something big, something moving, something _coming right at them!_

"MICHAEL, TURN AWAY!" Her mother screamed.

"IT'S TOO LATE!" Her father yelled back. He had let go of the steering wheel and had thrown both his arms up in front of him.

"NATALIE, HOLD ON!" Natalie saw her mother lean over and wrap her arms around her, holding her tightly against her own body.

Through a gap in her mother's arms, Natalie saw the lights bearing down on them. Almost instinctively, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the lights.

BANG! The whole car shook to the sound of screeching and twisting metal. Natalie's body trembled in the constricting embrace of her mother's arms.

"No!" Natalie heard herself cry out as she felt the car, with them in it, lift off the road and tumble through the air. She heard her mother scream in terror.

"NO!" She screamed again as she felt the car slam into the ground again, and keep going over and over down the hill. Pain shot through Natalie's hand. She tried to move, but her mother's arms were like bands of iron, keeping her firmly in place. She saw her father's face get whipped around to face them. His eyes were wide, and unblinking

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Natalie screamed as she finally shut her eyes, and waited for the nightmarish ride to end.

* * *

"NATALIE!" Natalie's eyes snapped open. She was gasping for breath and her skin felt cold and clammy. She tried to move, but she couldn't.

"Natalie?" Natalie looked up to see her uncle William leaning over her.

"Uncle William?" Natalie blinked sleep from her eyes.

Her uncle sighed and straightened up. "Good, you're awake"

"What-what happened?" Natalie tried to sit up, but found that she couldn't move. "I'm stuck!"

"You were screaming in your sleep" Another voice answered. Natalie saw her Aunt Mary standing next to William. "When we came in, you were thrashing around, tied up in your bedcovers.

"Oh" Natalie felt her face heat up as she looked down. Her bedsheets were wound around her body like a straightjacket, pinning her arms to her sides. "Sorry"

A yawn made everyone look up. The tired faces of Jack and Annie were peeking through Natalie's bedroom door.

"Wh-what's going on?" Annie rubbed her eyes and yawned again. Jack just stood there, blinking sleepily.

"Natalie just had a nightmare" William said, heading over towards the door. "But it's all good, so you can both head back to bed now." With gentle motions, William shooed Natalie's cousins out of the room.

"So, Natalie…" Aunt Mary drew Natalie's attention away from the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Natalie said, but even in her head, her words sounded false.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Aunt Mary asked as she helped Natalie sit up and began unwinding Natalie's bedsheets from around her

"I was…" Natalie paused. "I was dreaming about the accident"

Aunt Mary paused, and Natalie shut her eyes to avoid seeing the look of grief no doubt playing on her aunt's face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything"

"No, it's okay" Natalie felt a hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes. To her surprise, her aunt was smiling. "I know you miss them. I do too" She said softly as she finished unwinding the bedsheets.

"It was all so clear" Natalie said as she lay back so her aunt could tuck her in. "I swear I could even feel pain in my hand again" As Natalie spoke, she glanced at her left wrist, which had been broken in the accident. The bone had set, but it still felt uneven, and Natalie couldn't help rubbing it now and then.

"Well, you were lying on it, so that's not surprising." said Aunt Mary, but Natalie was only half listening. As she gazed at her wrist, something shiny caught her attention. On her left ring finger, a silver ring with a blue stone softly gleamed in the lamplight.

 _Merlin_ , Natalie felt herself smile.

"That's the spirit" Natalie looked up to see her aunt beaming at her. "Your mother and father wouldn't want you to be upset over them." She turned to look at Natalie's bedside table, where a picture of Natalie's parents sat. Michael and Sally Pope were standing in front of a shark tank at an aquarium, smiling at the camera. "Heh, I remember when I lost my first pet, a goldfish names Finnivus." She said.

"You had a goldfish named Finnivus?" Natalie couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, it was my first pet, so it made sense it had a babyish name" Her aunt said, chuckling as well. "Anyway, when he died I cried for a full day. I didn't eat and refused to come out of my room. My parents tried everything, but no use. Then your mother came into my room, pulled the blankets off of me, and practically yelled at me to get over it."

"She did?" Natalie said.

"Yeah, your mother must have thought that a sharp shock would snap me out of my depression. And she was right" Her aunt sighed and her eyes glazed over, the way they did when someone was reminiscing. "Of course, I was mad at her, and I wouldn't speak to her for the next three days, but it worked."

"That was pretty bold of mom" Natalie said.

"I'd say it was more smart than bold" Her aunt said, then her smile faded. "Natalie, these nightmares you've been having, they wouldn't have anything to do with the ceremony happening on Friday, would they?"

Natalie bit her lip in an effort to keep her expression neutral, but her depression must have shown because Aunt Mary reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know it's a great honor" Natalie said, her voice choking on emotion "But I…."

"I know" her aunt soothed. "I'm a little upset about it too, but I know it would mean a lot if a family member was there. That's why I agreed to go, and why I asked you to come with me."

Natalie nodded, but didn't say anything. She felt she would start crying if she did. Instead, she simply laid back on her bed.

"Everything okay in here?" Uncle William stuck his head back into the room

"Yeah, I'm okay Uncle William" Natalie nodded as her head hit the pillow.

"Good to hear" Her uncle smiled warmly, before turning it into a yawn. "Well, I'm headed back to bed"

"Me too" Aunt Mary straightened up but paused at the foot of Natalie's bed.

"You know, you don't _have_ to come with me" She said.

"But I feel like I should" Natalie argued. "If I don't, then I'll disappoint a lot of people"

"I highly doubt that your parents would want you to feel forced to go" Aunt Mary patted Natalie's shoulder.

"Really?" Natalie blinked sleepily at her aunt.

"Really" Aunt Mary nodded. "I know you feel like you have to, but we would understand if you decided not to"

"Would my parents understand?" Natalie asked.

Aunt Mary smiled. "I don't see why they wouldn't. But anyway, why don't you sleep on it for now? We can decide later when we're all bright-eyed, okay?"

"Okay" Natalie agreed as her aunt turned off the lights.

"Try to get some sleep, alright?"

"Alright, I'll try" Natalie managed a weak smile as Aunt Mary closed the door.

But despite promising her aunt, Natalie found sleep difficult. The screams of her parents seemed to linger in her head, ringing in her ears whenever she closed her eyes.

After what seemed like hours, she finally gave up, throwing back her blanket with a groan of annoyance. She glanced at her clock. It read 5:45 AM. Only one hour had passed since she had first woken up.

 _Forget trying to sleep._ Natalie thought in a huff as she began pacing her room. _Maybe…maybe I should just go for a walk_ , she paused by her window, drew back the curtain, and looked out. The streetlights outside were still lit.

Natalie frowned at the dark sky, then shrugged and began to change. She slipped out of her pajamas and donned jeans, a t shirt, a sweatshirt over that, and sneakers.

Easing open the door of her bedroom, Natalie peeked out to see the hallway deserted. She tiptoed to the stairs and crept down to the first floor. Moving quietly through the kitchen, Natalie fished a key ring from drawer near the back door and unlocked it.

"Natalie?"

Natalie jumped and spun around to find her cousin Jack standing at the kitchen window.

"Jack. Don't scare me like that!" Natalie hissed.

"Sorry. You're up early"

"Couldn't sleep"

Jack nodded, like he understood. "Thinking of the ceremony?" He asked.

Natalie couldn't stop the grimace that crossed her face. "Trying not to" She admitted.

Jack's expression changed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I…"

"It's fine" Natalie help up her hand, looking for a way to change the topic. "I'm going to go for a quick walk"

"You sure you want to do that?" asked Jack. "I thought you and mom were leaving right after breakfast"

"We are, but I need some time to…clear my head" said Natalie. "I'll be back soon"

"Okay. Have a good walk" Jack said, turning to look back out the kitchen window while Natalie opened the kitchen door.

As Natalie stepped out of the house, she gazed up at the sky. The sun hadn't risen yet, but in the east, Natalie saw the sky beginning to grow lighter. Daybreak wasn't far off.

Natalie took a deep breath, feeling cool air rush into her lungs. She exhaled, letting warm air out and imagined all her fear and pain rushing out with it. This was a calming technique that psychiatrists had recommended that Natalie try in order to purge negative feelings from her mind. It worked, most of the time.

Natalie sighed as she stepped off the front porch and began walking towards the street. The doctors meant well, she knew, and they were good at what they did, but Natalie sometimes felt like all the relaxation techniques in the world couldn't dull the pain of that night.

It wasn't the first time that Natalie had had nightmares about the accident that had taken both her parents from her and had forced her to come live with her aunt and uncle in the small town of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. But Natalie noticed that she had been having them more and more often, ever since she had first heard about the dedication ceremony.

Natalie's parents had both been university professors, her father had taught history, and her mother had taught mythology and humanities. From what Natalie had gathered, both had been highly beloved and respected by students and fellow staff alike. Natalie had visited the campus several times before the accident and had heard nothing but good comments from any student she had run into.

Natalie had even sat in on one of her father's lectures, about the Pyramids of Giza. Even though the lecture had been two hours long, her father had had no problem holding the attention of both Natalie and his students for the full class length.

 _Dad and Mom were both great teachers._ Natalie thought as she reached the street and unconsciously turned towards the woods. _But now they're going to be remembered for something else_.

At the time of the accident, the university had been in the process of constructing a new academic building on campus, and in the weeks that Natalie had been away, the building had been completed and the university had decided to name it in honor of Natalie's parents. Both Natalie and her aunt (her mother's sister), had been invited to the dedication ceremony.

Though Natalie had told her aunt she wanted to go, she had since found herself feeling more and more conflicted ever since. This would be her first time back in Chicago since the accident. The first time she would see her old friends outside of pictures, and hear their voices outside of their weekly telephone calls.

Natalie missed her former home terribly. Her aunt and uncle, and her cousins, Jack and Annie, had done their best over the past months to make Natalie feel like she was a part of their family, and Natalie was grateful they had been so welcoming, but it just wasn't the same. Natalie missed her old friends, her old hangout spots, her old life in general. Though Natalie knew it was silly, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that prevented her from fully accepting her life here in Frog Creek. She felt that, in some twisted way, to do so would be an insult to the life she had left behind.

On the other hand, Natalie knew that, had the accident not occurred, she would never be living the exciting life she was living right now. Ever since she had moved to Frog Creek, Natalie's life had taken a dramatic turn when she had discovered a tree house in the woods not far from her aunt's house. That discovery had led her to meet Merlin, the legendary wizard from Camelot who protected all those who used magic for good intentions.

When her cousins had stumbled across the tree house and somehow harnessed its power to travel back into the past Merlin, fearing for their safety, had sent Natalie back in time after them to keep them safe. Since then, Natalie had followed her cousins on several more incredible adventures and had helped them out of a number of life-threatening situations, all without her cousins knowing she was involved. Natalie had come to highly enjoy being Jack and Annie's secret guardian angel and, in a bizarre way, felt she should be grateful that the accident had occurred and set her on this path.

Natalie sighed, shaking her head. Why did life have to make things so complicated?

 _Hmmm, speaking of the Magic Tree House, I wonder if it's back yet_ , Natalie wondered as she passed by the Frog Creek Woods. It had been a few weeks since she had last followed her cousins on an adventure in the Magic Tree House, and Natalie could tell that Jack and Annie were hoping that the Tree House would come back soon. In truth, so was Natalie.

 _Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look_. Natalie decided, and stepped off the path into the cool shadows cast by the trees. Pulling up the hood of her sweatshirt, Natalie moved through the trees slowly, taking care not to make any noise, glancing around carefully as she moved.

Natalie's mission was a secret one, after all, and while she didn't want her cousins finding out about how she had been keeping tabs on them, there was one other person in particular she was keen on avoiding.

Hearing a branch creak behind her, Natalie spun around, her heart thudding. She saw what looked like a streak of silver dart out of sight. _Morgan?_ She thought nervously.

Morgan La Fay, the creator of the Tree House, was Merlin's rival. The two magicians had a spoken agreement not to interfere with each other's magic. This was the main reason why Natalie's involvement had to stay a secret, becuase Merlin was worried that Natalie's involvement would be considered a breach of this agreement and feared what Morgan would do to Natalie if their allegiance was discovered. Once Natalie followed her cousins into the past, Merlin was powerless to help her from the present. Morgan, however, was another matter. She had also been following Jack and Annie's progress and there had been several near misses between Morgan and Natalie already.

As far as Natalie was aware, Morgan only knew her as 'N', a mysterious person who was assisting Jack and Annie in their missions. And Natalie wanted it to stay that way. She didn't think that Morgan would hurt her, but she had felt Morgan's anger before, and had _no_ desire to risk the enchantress's wrath again.

Eventually, Natalie came to small clearing deep in the woods and she paused, peaking through the low-lying branches of a pine tree. On the other side of the clearing was an oak tree, the tallest one in the woods.

Natalie looked up, and her eyes widened.

Nestled in the topmost branches of the oak was a small wooden structure.

Natalie's heart leapt. _The Tree House **is** back!_ She thought happily.

No sooner had she thought that when something cascaded down from the tree house. The rope ladder!

Just then, Natalie felt a cold feeling creep down her back, it was a feeling she had felt many times before. She looked up again.

Gazing down from the tree house window was an old woman with long flowing white hair.

Some of Natalie's newfound joy evaporated. _Yikes! Morgan's here too!_ She thought fearfully, pressing herself deeper into the pine needles of the tree behind her. The last thing she wanted right now was the creator of the tree house seeing her!

After a few seconds, Natalie looked up again. The window was empty, Morgan was gone.

 _If Morgan's here, then maybe Merlin is too_. Natalie wondered. Maybe that was who she has seen earlier. Morgan and Merlin did have similar hair color. She glanced down at her ring, but it was silent and dim on her finger.

Lifting the ring to her lips, she blew across it and whispered "Merlin, can you hear me?"

She waited a few minutes, but there was no reply.

Natalie glanced up and saw that Morgan's face had reappeared at the window. She was looking from left to right, as if searching for something. Natalie carefully stepped back until she could no longer see the tree house window.

Natalie froze as she felt a branch break behind her, echoing loudly through the air. She waited with baited breath. Even though she couldn't see Morgan anymore, the cold feeling remained and she had a sense that Morgan was looking right at her.

Suddenly, Natalie heard more sounds coming from behind her. The sounds of someone running. Seconds later, Annie burst into the clearing, followed by Jack.

"It _is_ back" Natalie heard Jack whisper.

"Told ya!" Annie nudged her brother.

Natalie suddenly tensed as she felt Merlin's ring vibrate on her finger. The blue stone glowed softly in the early-morning light. It wasn't very bright, but Natalie's heart still raced. Jack and Annie were just inches away from her. If any of them looked around, they would see her! But they were both looking up at the tree house.

"Morgan!" Annie cried happily, waving up at the Tree House.

"Come up!" Morgan's voice called.

Jack and Annie dashed to the robe ladder and began climbing. When they were out of sight, Natalie silently counted to ten, then peeked out from under the pine tree. Annie was entering a hole in the tree house floor, with Jack right behind her. Morgan was gone from the window.

Merlin's ring was still vibrating, so Natalie quietly crept across the clearing and placed her hand on the trunk of the oak tree.

"I wish to pass into the heart, for a new mission I seek to start" She whispered.

Natalie's ring glowed brighter and a surge of heat flared up around it. Gripping the bark on the tree trunk, Natalie pulled the trunk open, revealing a hidden door. She stepped inside and sealed it shut behind her.

Natalie sighed with relief as she stepped out of the alcove into Merlin's secret study. That had been _way_ too close!

"Merlin?" Natalie called, looking around the room. "I'm here!"

"Welcome Natalie" Merlin said as he emerged from another doorway. He was wearing a red robe and his signature star-spangled hat.

Natalie raced forward and flung her arms around the elderly magician, who slowly returned the hug.

"It's great to see you" She said when they broke apart.

"It is good to see you as well" Merlin smiled back.

 _"We both had dreams about you!"_ Natalie looked up as Annie's voice echoed through the room, and grinned when she saw an M-shaped outline of light floating above their heads. Through the M, she could see into the tree house above them.

Natalie saw Morgan smile as well. _"I know"_ she said.

" _You do?"_ Jack's voice filtered through the M.

Morgan nodded. _"Yes, I sent them to you."_ She said. " _Because I need your help"_

 _"What kind of help?"_ Jack asked. Natalie cocked her head as she moved to stand under the M.

Morgan sighed wearily in the image. " _Merlin the magician is up to his tricks again"_ She said.

"What?" Natalie turned to look at Merlin. "Again? Merlin, I thought you said you weren't going to do things like that anymore!" Natalie was referring to an argument that Morgan and Merlin had had in the past, which had resulted in Merlin transforming Morgan into a mouse in an act of anger. To reverse the spell had required Jack, Annie, and Natalie to travel to Old Japan, the Amazon Rainforest, the Ice Age and, most recently, the surface of the Moon to gather the necessary components.

"I do not know what Morgan is referring to" Merlin shook his head. "I have made no moves against her of any sort, or anyone else for that matter"

 _"What has Merlin done?"_ Annie's voice drew their gazes back up to the M.

Natalie saw that Morgan's expression had turned somber. " _I am not certain"_ She admitted. " _But I know that he has made many trips you your world recently"_

 _"Merlin has been coming **here?**_ **"** Jack asked fearfully. " _Why?"_

Natalie and Merlin exchanged a glance. Natalie raised an eyebrow, hoping Merlin would explain himself, but the magician just smiled and looked back at the image above them.

 _"I do not yet know what Merlin seeks."_ Morgan confessed. " _But because I am now almost constantly monitoring his movements, I have not had time to gather books for Camelot's Library"_

" _Can **we** collect them for you?"_ Annie asked.

Natalie perked up at this. Were Jack and Annie about to embark on a series of new adventures?

" _Only Master Librarians are capable of traveling through time to gather books"_ Morgan said.

 _"Oh"_ Natalie could hear the disappointment in Annie's voice.

 _"However, it is possible to **become** Master Librarians"_ Morgan continued. " _By passing a special test"_

" _What kind of test?"_ Jack asked.

 _"A test that proves that you know how to do research, and that you can use that research to answer difficult questions"_ Morgan explained.

 _"What kind of questions?"_ Annie asked.

Morgan's hand suddenly appeared in the image, holding a scroll. " _Those who accept the test to become Master Librarians are presented with four ancient riddles to solve. This is your first one."_ Morgan's other hand appeared, holding a book. " _And this book will help you to find the answer"_

Merlin suddenly waved his staff and the M above them dissipated. "Well, I believe you now understand what Morgan intends for your cousins to do" He said, turning to Natalie.

"Yep" Natalie nodded. "Morgan plans to make them Master Librarians to gather books from history because _she'll_ be too busy following _you_ around" Natalie couldn't keep from giggling as she spoke.

Merlin smiled as well. "It is almost flattering, really"

"Morgan said you've been coming here a lot, why?" Natalie asked.

"In truth, I am curious about your world." Merlin said. "It is so much different from Camelot. I am constantly amazed by the things I have seen."

"Such as?" Natalie asked.

"Well, just the other day I was examining the inner workings of what you call the auto-mobile. It is such an interesting contraption. These vehicles can carry far greater loads than horse-drawn wagons and they have lamps that can turn night into day, like giant eyes."

Natalie's smile faded at the word 'eyes' as her mind flashed back to the night of the accident. How the headlights of the giant truck had looked like giant eyes that appeared to be coming straight at her.

"Natalie?" Natalie looked up to see that Merlin's expression had changed. "Is something wrong?"

"It…It's nothing" Natalie looked at the floor, and then quickly changed the topic. "So, if Morgan is sending Jack and Annie on a quest to become Master Librarians, what am _I_ going to be doing?"

Merlin's face grew serious. "What Morgan has _not_ mentioned is that Master Librarians often times travel to places and periods in time where books are in danger of being lost"'

"You mean, like to a time of war?" Natalie guessed.

Merlin nodded. "A war, a famine, a natural disaster. Any time in history where knowledge is in danger of being lost forever"

"I see" Natalie said, sighing as she spoke. "So, Jack and Annie will still require help?"

"I believe so" Merlin nodded. "Which is why I would like to propose a similar challenge to you"

"Huh?" Natalie tilted her head.

"The test to become a Master Librarian can be taken on by anyone." Merlin explained. "And requires more than just the ability to do research, it also requires courage and quick thinking, both characteristics that you have shown to possess."

Natalie's eyes widened as she realized what Merlin was getting at "You want _me_ to take the test?"

"Indeed" Merlin nodded. "Becoming a Master Librarian may provide you with a means of staying close to your cousins in the future"

Natalie thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I accept"

"Good, now because you will still be in animal form when you shadow your cousins, I cannot present your riddle to you on a scroll, so you will have to carry it in your memory. Are you ready?"

Natalie nodded again, leaning forward eagerly.

Merlin cleared his throat and spoke in a firm, but soft voice. _"I begin as a source of pain, but I end as a force of great beauty and gain, what am I?"_

Natalie groaned mentally. She was terrible at riddles and this one made no sense at all.

"I sense that your cousins are about to leave, so there is no time to lose." Merlin moved a few steps back. "Are you ready?"

"Ready" Natalie nodded.

Merlin raised his staff and pointed it at Natalie, muttering words that she couldn't hear. A cloud of thick blue mist poured from the staff's metal tip and swirled towards Natalie.

"Good luck!" Natalie could barely hear the magician's voice over the sudden roaring in her ears as the blue mist swirled around her. She felt her feet leave the study floor and closed her eyes as her body began to spin in midair.

Natalie felt a powerful itching sensation on her face and tried to scratch it, but her hands didn't respond, they remained stuck to her sides. Another itching sensation came from the middle of her back and she felt her legs and feet go numb, along with her arms. Natalie shut her eyes as the itching spread farther, covering her entire body. She shut her eyes.

Suddenly, everything was calm, completely calm.

Natalie felt a warm breeze on her skin and opened her eyes, then squinted them against blinding sunlight.

Suddenly, Natalie felt herself falling and looked down. She was dropping towards an expanse of sparkling water below. In the water's reflection, Natalie could see that her skin had turned gray, her hair had disappeared, and she had what looked like a fin sticking out of her back.

 _Did Merlin turn me into a fish?_ Natalie wondered as she broke through the surface of the water with a big splash.

As soon as she hit the water, Natalie felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness come over her. It made her new skin tingle, which made it tickle and caused Natalie to chuckle. Memories of her nightmare seemed to slip away as Natalie kicked out with her legs and propelled her new body through the crystal-clear water. Glancing back as best she could, Natalie saw that her legs had fused into a grey tail.

 _Oh, **up** and **down**! Merlin must have turned me into a dolphin!_ Natalie realized, giggling as she felt the warm water currents tickle her skin. Her laugh came out as a high-pitched whistle and several clicks.

 _Yep! I'm a dolphin alright!_ Natalie's clicking laugher rang through the water. Tilting her streamlined body upwards, Natalie shot towards the surface and burst through the water, leaping high into the air. While airborne, she looked down and could just make out the reflection of a bottlenose dolphin staring back at her in the water.

 _"This is so cool!"_ Natalie cried out as she dove back below the waves. And it was. Natalie hadn't felt so happy since before the accident. As she swam and swam, she felt like there wasn't a thing in the world that could ruin this beautiful moment.

Natalie suddenly felt something bump into her from behind and spun around.

Two young dolphins were hovering a few feet away, looking at her curiously.

 _Where did they come from?_ Natalie wondered. "Um…Hi?" She said, her voice coming out as a high-pitched click.

The two dolphins flicked their flukes and swam around Natalie. They spoke in clicks as well, but Natalie was somehow able to understand them.

 _"Hi!"_

 _"Hi!"_ They were saying.

 _"Who are you?"_ one of them asked.

"Um… I'm…Natalie" Natalie responded, spinning to keep the dolphins in her line of sight as they swam around her.

" _Hi Nat-ali! I'm Suki!"_ One of the dolphins clicked. Suki's eyes seemed to twinkle. Natalie chuckled at the funny way Suki said her name.

" _And I'm Sam"_ The other dolphin added. His voice was a little deeper than Suki's. He seemed to be smiling at Natalie. " _Hey, you wanna play?"_

"Um…Okay" Natalie was starting to get dizzy from all the spinning. She stopped and shook her head to regain her bearings.

" _Okay!"_ Natalie yelped as Suki suddenly shot forward and bumped Natalie with her nose. _"I got you! Now you have to get me!"_ Clicking happily, Suki shot away from Natalie, with Sam right behind her.

Natalie forgot about feeling dizzy. "Hey! Come back here!" She giggled as she chased after them.

It was like playing tag underwater. Natalie would 'tag' Suki or Sam with her nose, then one of them would chase after her and tap her back. Since Natalie was still getting used to her new dolphin body, she ended up being 'it' more times than not.

Eventually, Natalie felt herself tiring and called out for the game to stop. Suki and Sam floated next to her.

"Okay, you win!" Natalie laughed.

" _Of course! I always win!"_ Suki said smugly.

" _You do not! I won last time, remember?"_ Sam argued.

" _Um…no! Not really!"_ Laughing, Suki swam away.

" _Hey, come back here!"_ Sam chased after her.

 _Seriously? They're **still** playing?_ Natalie watched in disbelief as Suki and Sam chased each other around the reef. She had no idea dolphins were so energetic. Sure she had seen them in videos leaping and playing with each other, but she hadn't known they could do so for so long.

After a while, Natalie felt re-energized and swam after them, re-joining in the game. She was quickly getting used to her new dolphin body, and part of her knew she would be sad to leave it at the end of the mission. Playing with Sam and Suki was so much fun, and the coral reef around them was so beautiful.

" _Look! Look at that!"_ Sam suddenly clicked, after he had dodged his sister. He was gazing at something behind Natalie.

Natalie turned to see a white craft with a large glass bubble in front was moving towards them. It looked like a mini submarine.

 _"What is it?"_ Suki asked. " _I've never seen anything like it before!"_

 _"I have"_ Natalie said, causing both dolphins to look at her. "It's called a submarine, and it lets creatures that live above the water move around under the water"

" _A Sup-maaaarr-innne?"_ Suki repeated clumsily, causing Natalie to laugh.

" _Close enough!"_ Natalie said as Suki swam up to the mini sub, followed by Sam.

" _Look! There's something in there! What are they?"_ Suki suddenly clicked. " _Come and look Nat-ali!"_

 _Looks like they've never seen a human before!_ Laughing, Natale swam up to look in through the glass front of the submarine, and she froze.

 _Jack and Annie were staring back out at her through the glass!_

"What are _they_ doing down here?" Natalie gasped, feeling a shiver run through her.

 _"They? Do you know these strange creatures?"_ Sam asked.

"Um…" Natalie pondered how to best respond. She decided to just stick to basics. "Yes, I know them. They are…land dolphins!"

"Land dolphins?" Both dolphins looked confused.

"They're…like…dolphins that live above the water. They are very smart and very playful, especially young ones like these two." Natalie explained. "The bigger one is named Jack and the smaller one is named Annie. They are brother and sister"

" _Hey! Just like Sam and me!"_ Suki exclaimed. She turned back to the submarine and tapped her nose on the glass. " _Hello Jack and Annie!"_ She called.

Natalie was about to say that her cousins couldn't hear Suki, when Annie suddenly stood up, leaned forward, and planted a kiss on the glass where Suki was tapping.

Natalie chuckled as she saw Jack roll his eyes.

 _"Did you see what Annie just did?"_ Suki laughed as she darted away from the window. " _Try it Sam!"_

Sam immediately swam forward and tapped the glass with his nose. Natalie laughed as Annie pressed her lips to the glass again.

 _"Isn't that funny?"_ Suki giggled. Sam laughed as he moved away from the glass.

 _It **is** amusing_ , Natalie admitted to herself before she clicked "Okay, my turn!" She swam forward until she was directly in front of the submarine. She tapped her dolphin nose to the glass.

She saw that there were stars in Annie's eyes. She could see Annie's mouth moving but couldn't make out the words.

 _Hey you two! Guess who!_ Natalie giggled, her dolphin body wriggling excitedly as she tapped her nose against the glass again.

She saw Annie laugh, then lean forward and press her lips against the glass of the submarine where Natalie's nose was.

A sudden surge of pure bliss shot through Natalie and she laughed, tossing her dolphin head back. She could hear Sam and Suki laughing as well.

When she looked back, she saw Jack and Annie were speaking to each other. Jack was shaking his head as he talked.

 _Hmmm, I wonder if I can get Jack to 'kiss' me_ , Natalie thought. She moved lower and tapped her nose against the glass again.

Both her cousins looked up, Natalie gazed at Jack and tapped her nose against the glass.

Jack didn't move, he looked confused.

 _Come on Jack!_ Natalie willed her cousin, tapping her nose on the glass.

Annie's face suddenly lit up and she turned to say something to Jack. Jack's eyes widened and he shook his head.

 _Cone on Jack!_ Natalie clicked and whistled loudly, _Kiss me!_ She giggled as she moved all around the confines of the glass dome.

She could see Annie pleading with Jack through the window, and finally Jack got out of his chair and came to the front of the sub.

Natalie giggled at the annoyed look on her cousin's face as she tapped her nose against the glass. She waited.

Jack gave a sigh, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against the glass opposite Natalie's nose.

 _Yes! I did it!_ Natalie felt absolutely giddy as she moved away from the sub. She playfully tumbled in the water and laughed along with Annie as she watched Jack resume his seat, rubbing his mouth on the back of his hand.

Natalie paused as she felt a tightening in her lungs. _I must be out of air!_ She thought. Quickly, she shot up away from the mini sub, with Suki and Sam right behind her.

Reaching the surface, Natalie stuck her head out of the water and took a deep breath of air.

 _"That was fun! What else can we do?"_ Suki clicked from next to her.

Natalie turned to look at the dolphin siblings. As much as she was enjoying playing with them, part of her wanted to get to work on solving her riddle. Then, she had an idea.

 _"I know what we can do!_ _You can help me look for something?_ " _s_ he whistled to the dolphins.

 _"Okay!"_ Suki clicked excitedly, her body already wriggling with anticipation.

Sam looked calmer. " _What are you looking for?"_ He asked.

Natalie paused, trying to figure out how to best explain the riddle. " _It's something very special, but it's kind of hard to explain."_ She said finally. " _It's something that causes pain but is also something that looks pretty"._

 _"Something that is pretty, but causes pain?"_ Sam repeated. The two siblings looked at each other.

 _"Well, there are a lot of things on the reef that are pretty to look at"_ Suki finally said

 _"And some of them can hurt you if you get too close_. _Maybe what you're looking for is one of them_ " _._ Sam added

Natalie felt her excitement rise again. Maybe the dolphins were on to something! " _Can you show me?_ "She clicked.

 _"Sure! Follow us!"_ Suki and Sam turned and dove towards the shimmering reef below. Taking another big breath of air, Natalie dove after them.

Barely a minute after the search had begun, Suki clicked excitedly.

 _"Look at that!"_ Suki pointed with her flipper towards something perched on a rock. It was pink in color and had what looked like tentacles waving in the current. " _That's pretty, isn't it?"_

 _"Yes, it_ does" Natalie nodded, hovering in the water as she tried to place what this creature was. _It looks like a sea anemone._ Natalie knew that sea anemones were very common in coral reefs. Luckily, she was learning about ocean animals in school right now.

 _"Careful!"_ Sam darted in front of his sister. " _That thing can give you a painful sting! Mother told me so."_

 _"Hey! It's pretty, and it causes pain! Maybe this is the thing you're looking for!"_ Suki turned excitedly to Natalie, who studied the organism carefully.

 _She has a point_ , Natalie admitted, but somehow it didn't feel like a sea anemone was the right answer. The riddle pointed something that _started_ as a source of pain and _finished_ as a source of beauty. A sea anemone seemed to start and finish as both.

 _"I don't think so_ " Natalie turned to the siblings.

 _"Awwww!"_ Suki tail drooped.

 _"Don't feel bad Suki, it was a good guess"_ Natalie said, and Suki brightened up.

 _"Let's keep looking!"_ Sam suggested as he swam off towards a nearby head of coral. _It has to be around here somewhere!_

The three dolphins split up to explore the reef. When one of them found something, they called the others over to see it.

Suki completely threw herself into the search, calling them over every few minutes, but her findings weren't very helpful. She had Natalie look at several different pieces of sharp coral, a large eel, and a rather annoyed-looking barracuda.

Sam's discoveries seemed more in tune to what Natalie was looking for. He showed Natalie a lionfish that he had almost bumped into and a jellyfish that was drifting above the reef, but Natalie didn't feel like either of them was the answer either.

Natalie herself wondered if the answer was an animal at all. She examined the sea grass and clumps of algae that grew in between the corals, but though they appeared nice to look at, they didn't look very dangerous.

 _"I'm bored!"_ Suki groaned after they had been looking for a while " _And I'm hungry!"_

" _I'm hungry too"_ Sam admitted. " _How about you, Nat-ali?"_

Natalie didn't want to stop looking. She was getting close, she could feel it.

But just then, she felt a pinching in her stomach and had to agree that she was hungry too.

" _Great! Come with us, we can all get something to eat!"_ Suki clicked happily.

She began to swim away from the reef, with Sam right behind her.

Natalie started to follow, then paused and looked back towards the reef. She hadn't seen Jack and Annie for a while.

 _Oh, stop worrying!_ Natalie scolded herself. _They're in a mini-sub, there is no way someone would leave a broken mini-sub lying around!_ _They'll be fine for now._

" _Hey Nat-ali! Are you coming or not?_ " Sam called.

" _Coming_!" Natalie called, swimming after them.

* * *

Away from the reef, Natalie followed Sam and Suki through the crystal-clear water.

"Um…where exactly are we going?" Natalie asked. They had been swimming for a little while now.

" _To eat!"_ Suki said " _Look!"_

Natalie looked ahead and saw a strange sight. What looked like a large group of fish was swimming together in the water, forming a silvery cloud in the water. A handful of other dolphins were stalking the fish, clicking to each other.

" _Suki! Sam! There you are!"_ A large dolphin suddenly appeared in front of them.

" _Mother!"_ Suki and Sam swam forwards, rubbing themselves against the larger dolphin's body in greeting.

" _Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!"_ the mother scolded. Suki and Sam's heads drooped.

 _So, this is their mother._ Natalie hung back respectively.

" _And who have we here"_ Suki and Sam's mother asked as she spotted Natalie.

Natalie felt her heart flutter. The mother was a lot bigger than she was. "H-hello" She said, backing up a little.

" _Mother, this is our new friend, Na-tali"_ said Suki. _"She was teaching us about the land dolphins!"_

The mother looked surprised. " _You know about the land dolphins?"_ She asked.

 _"Yes ma'am"_ Natalie nodded her head. _"I...I play with them all the time"_

 _"Really?"_ The mother seemed to smile at her. _"They are fun to play with, aren't they?"_

 _"Yes, they are"_ Natalie silently felt relieved. The mother dolphin didn't seem suspicious of her at all. _"I really like the strange noises they make when I swim past them. It's so funny!"_ She giggled, and the mother chuckled as well.

" _What is going on here?"_ A large male dolphin swam up to them. _"Whistle, why are you not in position? The hunt is about to start!"_

 _"I'm sorry Click, but my children have just returned, and they have brought a friend with them"_ The mother dolphin (Whistle) turned to face the large dolphin.

 _"Hmm, so they have"_ The large dolphin (Click)'s gaze fell on Natalie.

 _"Can Na-tali join us on the hunt?"_ Suki asked excitedly.

 _"Hmmm, we could use an extra member."_ Click said after a moment. " _This is a bigger school than we thought"_ He turned to look at Natalie.

 _"_ Sure, I'd love to!" said Natalie.

 _"Yay!"_ Suki and Sam cheered.

 _"Very well, you can join Whistle's team."_ Click said, before swimming away. _"Form up!"_ He whistled and the other dolphins surged over to him.

 _"Sardine hunting is a serious matter"_ Whistle suddenly appeared beside Natalie. _"Think you can handle it?"_

" _I may surprise you"_ Natalie replied, playfully bumping Whistle, who chuckled in response.

 _"Alright, everyone remembers the plan. Team one will feed first, team two will keep the fish from escaping, team three will keep them confused. When I say rotate, team two will feed, and we will all continue until all teams have eaten. Any questions?"_

Natalie wondered which team she was on, but decided to just stick close to Whistle.

" _Alright, Go!"_ Click ordered, and surged forward, with several dolphins following him. Whistle powered forwards as well, with Natalie hard on her flippers.

As they approached, the silvery cloud of fish seemed to pulsate like it was one living creature. As Natalie watched, Whistle, Suki, and Sam surged forwards and dove under the fish cloud. Large walls of bubbles trailed from their blowholes.

 _Oh, I see what they're doing!_ Natalie thought as she watched a small splinter group of fish break away from the main group, only to be turned back by one of the walls of bubbles. At the same time, another group of dolphins began swimming around the cloud of fish, herding them like sheepdogs, driving the silvery fish closer and closer together into a tight ball and pushing them up towards the surface of the water.

 _OK, let's do this!_ Natalie surged forward, joining Whistle, Suki and Sam beneath the fish ball. Spotting a gap in the bubble wall the dolphins were making, Natalie blew out, the same way she might blow into her drink through a straw, expelling a great cloud of bubbles that rose up to meet the others, just in time to block another stream of fish from escaping.

 _"Okay, let the hunt begin!_ " Natalie looked up to see Click, and several other dolphins, charge the fish ball, and dive right into it. The ball immediately seemed to split, but the dolphins on the outside kept charging and swimming around the outer perimeter of the ball, keeping the fish corralled in one place. Whistle and her team kept blowing walls of bubbles from their blowholes, sometimes around the ball, other times right into the middle of the ball. Natalie saw the streams of fish split to avoid the bubbles.

Snapping her mind back into focus, Natalie surfaced, took a big breath of air, then swam back down and began assisting Whistle's team in making bubble walls.

After this had been happening for a few minutes, Click suddenly burst out of the fish ball, a fish in his mouth. He swallowed it, then called out "ROTATE!" Instantly, the dolphins that had been patrolling outside the fish ball now dove into it, while Whistle's team began to herd the scattered fish back into one place.

 _Get back in there!"_ Natalie clicked, snapping at a fish that was trying to slink away. With a flick of its fins, the fish fled back to the ball.

 _"Hey Na-tali!"_ Suki suddenly appeared next to her. _"Are you having fun yet?"_

 _"Oh yeah! I sure am!"_ Natalie nodded at Suki. " _But I really feel hungry now!"_

 _"Don't worry, it'll be our turn soon!"_ Suki assured her, then accelerated to chase a fish that was making a break for it. As she chased it back to the ball, another dolphin appeared from within it and snapped the fish up before it knew what had happened.

 _Wow! These guys are good!_ Natalie was impressed.

All too soon, she heard Click call "ROTATE!"

 _Finally!_ Natalie clicked happily as she charged into the fish ball. _This shouldn't take long_ , she thought. _The fish have nowhere to go!_

But the fish, had other plans. As Natalie darted in and out of the fish ball, the fish broke and parted before her, always staying just out of reach. It was almost like they could read her mind and knew when and where she was going to go before she did.

With her stomach now painfully pinching her, Natalie began snapping desperately at the fish.

Missed!

Missed!

Missed!

 _"Argh! This is so frustrating!"_ Natalie groaned after she had missed for the twelfth time in a row.

Natalie burst out of the fish ball, shaking her head and trying to ignore the hunger pangs in her belly.

 _"Na-tali? Is something wrong?"_ Natalie turned to see Click floating behind her.

Natalie avoided Click's eye as she struggled to come up with a good answer. " _I guess I've been relying on the land dolphins too much for food, I haven't caught any fish yet_. _Usually land dolphins just throw food at you"_ She finally said. Technically he wasn't wrong. Her science teacher had said that one of the biggest dangers that ocean animals faced was that humans were hand-feeding them, making them less wild and more tame, which could lead to trouble for them later on.

 _"Really? What do you think the problem_ is?" Click asked.

 _"Well, I've been trying my hardest to catch one. But every fish that I focus on seems to…what's so funny?"_ Natalie asked as Click began laughing.

" **There** _'s your_ _problem, Na-tali._ _You're focusing on only one fish."_ Click said, turning to face the fish ball. " _You're never going to catch any fish **that** way, they're too quick. You have to learn not to look so closely."_

 _"What do you mean?"_ Natalie was confused.

Click thought for a moment " _Think of it this way. Imagine all those fish as one single animal. Now, most hunters, they take whatever bite they can, regardless of where on the animal it comes from. They don't waste time focusing on individual parts, they just go in, and take what they can. Do you understand?"_

As Natalie looked at the cloud of fish, she suddenly started to see that Click was right. When she forced herself to stop looking at an individual tail there, or an eye there, the fish all suddenly seemed like one solid mass that was constantly moving, and the dolphins diving in and out of the fish ball looked like smaller animals eating a larger one. They didn't care about what they were eating, they just dove in and back out again.

 _"I think understand now."_ Putting her doubts aside, Natalie pumped her fluke and powered back towards the fish ball. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Natalie dove into the ball. The sea of fish parted around her, scattering in all directions, but Natalie forced herself to watch the fish like she was watching water flowing around her.

Suddenly, Natalie twisted to the side and lunged blindly. To her surprise, her dolphin jaws snapped shut on a fish!

Before Natalie knew what was happening, she had emerged from the fish ball, swallowing her catch hole.

 _Wow, Click was right!_ Natalie thought happily as she looped around and charged the ball again. She dove into the curtain of fish, which parted before her. She snapped her jaws at a random moment. She missed that time. She snapped again in the opposite direction, and her jaws snapped shut on another fish. She quickly swallowed that and snapped again. After three tries, she caught another one.

 _"This is so much fun!"_ Natalie laughed as she kept swimming around the fish ball, snapping happily at the fish. Her catch rate continued to climb until she was catching a fish every time she snapped her jaws shut.

As Natalie eventually lef the bait ball to breathe again, she saw that the red of the dolphin pod had stopped eating were hovering nearby, watching her.

 _Ooops!_ Natalie realized that she hadn't heard Click's command to stop. She quickly surfaced, gulped a big breath fo air, then swam sheepishly over to the pod. " _Sorry_ " She said, looking down.

To her surprise, she heard the other dolphins chuckling amongst themselves.

" _It's no problem"_ Click said. There was an amused glint in his eye. _"But it's probably a good thing I put you in the final team to feed, wouldn't you agree?"_

The other dolphins laughed, their clicking laughter echoing in the water, and despite herself, Natalie felt herself joining in. As she laughed, she felt a funny tingling feeling flow across her body. It felt like the water was tickling her, making her forget her embarrassment.

 _"Yeah, that was a good call"_ Natalie nodded to the leader of the pod. _"So, what now?"_

 _"Well, we'll be resting for a while before moving on."_ Said Click. _"Spinner saw a large shark in the area, and we don't want it attacking any of our pups. I hope it doesn't go after your pod either. Where is your pod anyway? I haven't seen of heard any other dolphins around"_

 _"Um…"_ Natalie thought quickly. _"My pod was on the other side of the reef, the last time I saw them. Maybe…Maybe it's time I got back to them"_

 _"Awwww!"_ Suki groaned, and her flippers drooped.

 _"Do you really need to go?"_ Sam sounded sad too.

 _"I think I should."_ Natalie felt her voice tighten as she spoke. This was just like with the mammoth herd in the Ice Age. Part of Natalie really wanted to stay with the pod, but she had already been away from her cousins for too long, and they had been riding around in a _submarine_ the last time she saw them. Even if it wasn't broken, she still felt like having her cousins ride around in one of those things alone was a bad idea. The more she thought about it, the more something told her that something bad _was_ going to happen. _"I need to make sure my family are okay"_

 _"We understand"_ Click dipped his head at Natalie. Then, to her surprise, he swam forward and rubbed his snout against Natalie's body. Natalie had a sudden feeling of her father's strong arms around her, and before she knew what she was doing, she returned the rub, her eyes closed. She felt the other dolphins in the pod converge on them, into a sort of group-nuzzle. Natalie sighed as a powerful feeling swept through her, a feeling she hadn't felt since…since just before the accident. For a moment, just a moment, she felt...at home.

 _"Good luck, Nat-ali_ " Click said when they finally broke apart. Without another word, he swam off, along with the majority of the pod, leaving Whistle, Suki, and Sam behind.

 _"I wish you could stay with us"_ Suki's voice betrayed the dolphin's sadness. _"You were fun to play with"_

 _"I wish I could stay too"_ Natalie said to Suki. " _But my family will be wondering where I am. And plus, I want to check on those land dolphins we saw. I'm not sure they're old enough to be riding in that thing"_

 _"Really?"_ Sam cocked his head.

Natalie nodded at him. _"I just…I just need to make sure they're okay"_

 _"You really care for the land dolphins, don't you?"_ Said Whistle, and from the way that she was looking at Natalie made Natalie think that the dolphin knew something.

 _"Yeah"_ Natalie confessed. _"I sometimes think of them as…part of my family too"_

Whistle seemed to smile and her eye gleamed, like she knew exactly what Natalie was talking about. _"Family is very important"_ She said before she swam forward and rubbed her body against Natalie's again.

Natalie relaxed with a sigh and nuzzled against Whistle, pretending, for just a moment, that the dolphin was her actual mother. The feeling from before grew stronger, and it filled Natalie with complete bliss. Her heart ached when Whistle finally moved away. Natalie caught the gaze of the older dolphin and saw pity in her eyes.

 _"Hey!"_ Suki suddenly spoke up, startling Natalie. She had forgotten the siblings were there. _"If you're going to check on the land dolphins, why don't Sam and I go with you? We know where to find them! And with a shark nearby, you'd be safer if we came with you"_

 _"I was about to say the same thing!"_ Sam said.

 _"But **I** said it first!"_ Suki crowed triumphantly as Sam shook his head.

Natalie smiled. She knew she had to check on her cousins, but she didn't really want to say goodbye to the siblings yet.

 _"I…I would like that"_ Natalie said, looking at their mother. _"If...that's okay with you"_

Whistle nodded her head. " _I don't see why not. Just be back when I call you, alright?"_

 _"We will!"_ Suki and Sam promised.

 _"It was nice to meet you, Nat-ali. Maybe we will see you again sometime"_ Whistle nodded to Natalie one final time before she swam off to join the rest of the pod.

 _"Bye!"_ Natalie called after the mother dolphin, then turned and swam back towards the reef. Suki and Sam trailing along behind her.

Soon, Natalie, Sam, and Suki arrived back at the reef. It was still as bright as ever, but if felt…different. It felt…tense, like the entire reef was holding its breath.

 _"Something's different."_ Sam spoke up. Apparently, he had noticed it as well.

 _"Yeah, it doesn't seem as happy here now"_ Natalie felt Suki brush up next to her. To her surprise, she felt the dolphin trembling.

Natalie closed her eyes and used the relaxation techniques the psychologists had taught her to calm her mind. _"Let's just stay calm and look for the land dolphins. The thing they were riding in can't be too hard to find"_

Suki and Sam agreed, but the three of them still kept close together as they searched the reef.

 _"Look!"_ Suki suddenly said. She was looking up. " _There's that sup-maar-iine again!"_

Natalie looked up and saw that the mini-sub they had seen before was now floating on the water's surface.

Natalie frowned. What was the sub doing up _there_? _"Come on!"_ Natlaie surged towards the mini-sub.

 _"Wait!"_ To her surprise, Sam darted in front of her. _"Stop!"_

 _"What is it?"_ Natalie asked.

 _"Look"_ Sam was staring at a nearby sea plant. Natalie followed her gaze and saw that there was something that looked like black smoke drifting in the current.

 _"What is that?"_ Suki asked.

 _"Octopus ink"_ Sam replied, and Natalie could hear a definite tone of unease in his voice. _"Mother taught me how to recognize it. She says the octopus only uses this when it is in danger"_

 _"D-Danger?"_ Suki sounded nervous again.

 _"Stay calm."_ Natalie rubbed her nose against Suki's flank. _"It's gonna be alright. I'm just gonna check and see if the land dolphins are okay, then we can all go home. You and Sam can stay here if you want"_

Suki looked relieved. _"If you say so. I don't know how to-EEEP!"_ Suki suddenly yelped in fear, her eyes fixed on something behind Natalie.

 _"Yikes"_ Natalie saw Sam freeze in the water, he was looking in the same direction as his sister.

Slowly, Natalie turned to see where the dolphins were looking, and felt her heart stop.

Cruising through the water, some distance away, but still clearly visible, _was the biggest hammerhead shark she had ever seen!_

 _"Shark!"_ Suki squeaked in terror. Natalie couldn't blame the dolphin for being scared. She knew that sharks were the biggest predators of the dolphin, and this hammerhead was bigger than all three of them. Much, _much_ bigger!

 _"Stay calm"_ Natalie urged the others. _"I don't think he's seen us yet"_

The three dolphins waited, their muscles tense, until the giant shark turned disappeared behind a head of coral.

 _"He's gone"_ Sam sounded relieved. _"Now what?"_

 _"Wait here. I'll be right back"_ Before the others could argue, Natalie shot out from their hiding place, up to the mini sub.

The closer she got to the sub, the more concerned she became. The sub wasn't moving, it was just bobbing low in the water. Lower than Natalie thought is should. Why was it up here? Had something happened?

Natalie swam to the front of the sub, and peered in through the window. Her eyes widened in alarm. _The Sub was empty!_ Not only that, but it was half-full of water!

 _"Oh no!"_ Natalie swam around to the side and saw that a hatch was hanging open. Something had caused her cousins to abandon the submarine! But…where were they now?

Trying to keep herself calm, Natalie swam around the sub, looking in every direction, but she didn't see her cousins anywhere.

 _"Nat-ali!"_ Natalie jumped and turned to see Suki and Sam coming up to her. _"You were gone so long we got worried!"_ said Suki.

" _Where are the land dolphins?"_ Sam asked, peering into the submarine's window.

" _The land dolphins are gone!"_ Natalie fought to keep her voice steady, but her body wriggled with anxiety. " _Something caused them to leave the submarine. We need to find them!"_

" _Can land dolphins swim fast?"_ Suki asked.

 _"Land dolphins can hardly swim at all! That's why they need these things!"_ said Natalie pointing towards the sub with her nose. Technically this wasn't true. She, Jack, and Annie had taken swimming lessons, but compared to a dolphin, or a shark, humans would be like snails in the water.

" _Yikes! Then we need to find them before that shark comes back!"_ Suki sounded nervous.

 _"Is that them over there?"_ Sam was facing away from Natalie, gazing into the distance.

Natalie looked in the direction Sam was looking, but she couldn't see anything.

 _"Oh yeah! I can hear sense over there! Doesn't sound like a shark"_ Suki was looking in the same direction.

 _Oh right, dolphins can use sonar!_ Natalie felt like an idiot for not remembering that.

She narrowed her eyes and let out a series of clicks in the direction that the dolphins were looking. Barley a second later, she heard the clicks come back to her. Suddenly, she could see faint outlines in the distance, human-shaped outlines.

 _There they are!_ Natalie felt relieved. Jack and Annie were quietly swimming away from them. They weren't splashing, but the noise was still loud to Natalie's sonar. " _They must be swimming towards the part of the reef that stick up out of the water"_

" _They're moving pretty slowly"_ Sam noticed. _"Do you think they can make it?"_

 _"I don't_ know" Natalie admitted. That was quite a distance for a human to swim. " _Maybe we should help them before they tire themselves out"_

 _"Right!"_ Suki and Sam nodded in unison.

Despite the bright sun, the water around Natalie felt cold as she swam towards her cousins, keeping an eye out for the hammerhead shark, Suki and Sam right behind her.

They had just about caught up with Jack and Annie when…

 _"Uh oh!"_ Sam's voice made Natalie stop and look back. The dolphin was looking back towards the mini-sub.

Natalie turned to look where Sam was looking, and felt her blood run cold. The giant hammerhead shark was back, swimming slowly around the remains of the sinking sub. The creature was only slightly smaller than the vehicle.

 _"Oh dear!"_ Suki clicked fearfully.

Natalie forced herself to stay calm. _"Relax"_ She said to Suki and Sam. " _He's just curious about the sub, he won't hurt us as long as he stays over there"_

However, scarcely had Natalie said that then the hammerhead suddenly stopped swimming. It slowly turned its weird head away from the sub, towards them!

Natalie's heart sank as she watched the shark slowly begin to move towards them.

 _"He's not over there anymore!"_ Suki clicked.

 _"He's coming this way!"_ Sam added.

 _Like heck he is!_ Natalie's fear left her as she turned to Suki and Sam. " _I'll keep that shark busy, can you get those land dolphins back to the reef?"_

Suki's eyes widened. _"You're going to fight HIM? He's huge!"_

 _Don't remind me_ , Natalie thought. _"Please?"_ She begged.

Sam gave Natalie a small nod. " _Don't worry. We'll keep them safe. Come on Suki!"_ Sam swam towards Jack and Annie. Suki cast a nervous look at the shark but followed her brother anyway.

Gathering her courage, Natalie swam down towards the ocean floor below. When she reached the coral, she looked back up. The shark was still swimming towards her cousins.

 _I don't think so buddy!_ Natalie thought as she swam up towards the monster from below.

 _"HEY!"_ Natalie yelled as she rammed her nose into the shark's belly.

" _OW!"_ The shark turned to look at her, its eye flashing angrily. It lunged at Natalie, who only just managed to avoid its snapping teeth.

 _"Keep away from them!"_ said Natalie, ramming her nose into the shark's side this time, barely avoiding the shark's responding snap. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Suki and Sam continue towards Jack and Annie.

 _"Away from what?"_ The shark snapped. Natalie was surprised to see that the massive hammerhead didn't look so much hungry as it was annoyed. _Maybe he was more curious than hungry_. Natalie thought. From what she remembered reading about sharks, the Hammerhead wasn't as aggressive as some of the other species. Still, it ate animals as big as other sharks, so Natalie didn't want to take any chances.

 _"There's nothing here for you!"_ said Natalie after a minute. " _Go find somewhere else to eat!"_

When the shark didn't move, Natalie darted forwards, snapping her mouth in front of the shark's eye, making the giant creature flinch. " _You want me to call the rest of my pod over here?"_ She snapped, trying to look tough. _"You think you can handle twenty dolphins attacking you all at once?"_

She saw fear in the shark's eye and it looked around hesitantly. Natalie had a feeling that this wasn't the first time the shark had faced dolphins.

 _"Fine. Fine, I'm going_ " The shark finally growled before turning about and swimming away with a flick of its tail.

Natalie watched the shark go until it disappeared into the blue depths. Even then, she used her dolphin sonar to track the shark until she was certain that it wasn't going to come back. When she was finally satisfied, she rushed up to the surface after Suki and Sam.

When she finally caught up with them, she saw that Jack and Annie were holding onto Suki and Sam's dorsal fins. The two dolphins were pulling Natalie's cousins through the water towards the reef.

 _"Nat-ali!_ " Suki clicked when she saw Natalie keeping pace with them " _Where's the shark?_ " She sounded nervous.

 _"I chased him off. He won't be back_ " said Natalie.

 _"How did you do that?"_ Sam asked.

 _"Oh, I just told him that I'd call my pod over if he didn't go away"_ said Natalie.

" _But your pod isn't here_ " Sam commented.

" _Yeah, but the shark didn't know that"_ Natalie chuckled.

 _"Oh!"_ Suki and Sam laughed as they realized how Natalie had tricked the shark. They kept laughing as Suki and Sam towed Jack and Annie through the water. Natalie could see smiles on her cousin's faces, and that made her feel a lot better.

Natalie, Sam, and Suki slowed down as they neared the reef. Lifting her head out of the water, Natalie saw the Tree House perched on the pink coral that had grown above the water near the shore.

 _"This way! Follow me!"_ Natalie called to Suki and Sam before swimming towards a shallow underwater ledge near the tree house. The dolphin siblings followed.

" _Drop them here"_ Natalie instructed, motioning towards the ledge. She watched as Suki and Sam slowly made their way over to the ledge. When Jack and Annie's feet touched the bumpy coral, they let go of their dolphins.

"Thank you, Suki!" Annie suddenly cried, throwing her arms around Suki, who whistled in surprise.

" _She said thank you"_ Natalie translated for Suki, who then clicked happily, even more so when Annie kissed her on the edge of her nose.

" _Look! She did it again!"_ Suki laughed

"Kiss Sam now Jack!" Annie urged

"You're nuts!" Jack said. He didn't move.

 _"Why isn't he doing what Annie did"_ Sam looked at Natalie.

Natalie grinned to herself. " _I think that Jack's too shy. Maybe you should hug him"_

" _Hug?"_ Sam asked

" _Just do what you saw Annie do to your sister"_ Natalie urged.

 _"Okay, I'll try"_ Sam said, moving forward.

Natalie laughed at Jack's expression as Sam nuzzled Jack's head. He placed his flippers around Jack's neck.

Jack froze for a minute, then suddenly he threw his arms around Sam and gave the dolphin a quick kiss.

"Awww! That's cute!" Annie laughed.

Natalie had to agree. She wished she had a camera.

" _I did it!"_ Sam laughed as Jack let go of him.

" _You sure did!"_ Suki laughed.

"OH NO!" The dolphins looked up at Jack's cry. His face was full of panic.

"Jack, What's wrong?" Annie asked.

"My backpack, it's gone!"' Jack was looking around wildly. Natalie looked around as well. Sure enough, Jack's red backpack was nowhere to be found.

"Where did you last have it?" Annie asked.

Jack scrunched his face in thought. "The last time I remember seeing it was…" A look of despair appeared on his face "…on board the mini sub" He groaned.

Annie and Jack turned to look towards the open ocean.

"Well, I don't think we're getting it back now" Annie said.

Natalie wasn't so sure. She thought that she had seen the backpack with Jack when Sam was pulling Jack towards the reef. _It may just have fallen off Jack's shoulder somewhere._ Natalie ducked below the surface and looked around.

 _Aha!_ Natalie spotted a flash of red lying on top of a spiky patch of coral, the strap of Jack's backpack!

Natalie quickly dove down and grabbed the strap in her mouth. She yanked, but the backpack appeared to be caught on the coral. She yanked harder and the backpack suddenly came free.

Natalie quickly swam back up to the ledge, where Jack and Annie were looking around frantically.

 _"What's that?"_ Suki asked.

 _"Something they want"_ Natalie whistled back. " _Can you get their attention?"_

Suki nodded, then she and Sam turned back to Jack and Annie. They whistled loudly. Jack didn't look up, but Annie did She smiled as her gaze ran over Suki and Sam, then she saw Natalie, and her eyes widened.

"Jack! Look!" She cried, pointing.

Jack looked. "My Backpack!" He gasped, moving towards Natalie.

Natalie didn't want her cousin stepping off the ledge and falling into open water, so she swam up to Jack with his backpack strap in her mouth.

"Where did you find it?" Jack asked as he took his backpack from Natalie.

 _"On a piece of coral"_ Natalie answered playfully.

Jack smiled, as If he somehow understood, then he set his pack down and gave Natalie a big hug. "Thank you" Natalie heard him say.

The tone of Jack's voice as he thanked her made Natalie feel giddy all over. She nodded her head at Jack. " _You're welcome"_ she clicked.

"Give her a kiss, Jack!" Annie urged.

Natalie saw Jack roll his eyes, but he knelt back down and gave Natalie a quick kiss.

" _Hey Na-tali! They did it to you too!"_ Suki and Sam laughed.

Jack's kiss sent tingles down Natalie's spine. She felt happy, tremendously happy. She felt…like doing something! Natalie felt herself shoot away from her cousins and dove down underwater. Pumping her tail to build up speed, Natalie swam to the bottom of the reef, then charged towards the surface.

Breaching it, Natalie leapt high into the air. She saw Jack and Annie laughing happily before she dove back into the water with a big splash.

 _"Wow! That looked like fun! You leapt really high!"_ Suki laughed as she and Sam raced up to Natalie.

 _"Yes, I did, didn't I?"_ Natalie laughed.

 _"Suki? Sam? Where are you?"_ A series of clicks and whistles echoed through the water.

 _"Mother!"_ Suki clicked happily.

 _"Sounds like you have to go now"_ said Natalie.

 _"Do you want to come with us?"_ Sam asked.

Natalie had hoped Sam wasn't going to ask that, because now she was _really_ tempted to stay. She wanted to swim through the sunny seas with no effort, to hunt fish with the rest of the pod and play with Suki and Sam all the time. Now that she had taken on a giant shark, Natalie felt like the ocean held no dangers for her.

But, Natalie knew she couldn't stay. She had a mission to fulfill, and she _still_ hadn't solved her riddle yet.

 _"Sorry, but I think I'll stay here for a while longer"_ She said

 _"Awwww! Why?"_ Suki groaned.

 _"SUKI! SAM! WE'RE LEAVING!"_ The clicking came again, louder this time.

 _"You'd better go! You don't want to keep your mother waiting"_ said Natalie.

 _"She's right"_ Sam said to Suki.

" _Yeah"_ Suki sounded sad for a second, but she quickly cheered up. " _Well, it was nice meeting you Na-tali. I really enjoyed playing with you"_

 _"Me too"_ Sam nodded.

 _"Me too. Come here!"_ Natalie giggled as she put her flippers around Suki, then Sam, making both of them laugh.

 _"Bye!"_ Natalie waved her flipper as Suki and Sam turned and swam away from the reef. Before her eyes, the two siblings suddenly dove down, then raced back up and leapt out of the water.

Natalie poked her head up above water to see Suki and Sam leap high into the air. She could hear Jack and Annie laughing from somewhere behind her as the two dolphins dove back into the water.

" _Bye Na-tali!"_ Sam called as the siblings swam off.

 _"See you again sometime!"_ Suki added.

 _"Goodbye!"_ Natalie called after them, watching them swim gracefully towards the open ocean. When they were no longer in sight, she sighed. She was going to miss them. But strangely, she didn't feel as sad now that they were gone.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand, Natalie turned back towards the reef. She quietly poked her head out of the water to see what her cousins were up to.

Jack and Annie were sitting on the small shelf. Water lapped around their shorts and T-shirts.

"I'm tired." Jack said.

"Me too" said Annie.

Natalie had to admit her cousins sure sounded tired. She couldn't blame them. They must have swum nearly a mile before Suki and Sam caught up with them.

"Hey. Guess what" said Annie suddenly.

"What?" Jack looked at her.

"I saw the shark while we were swimming" Annie gave Jack a weak smile. "But I didn't say anything, because I wanted you to stay calm. I just swam faster"

Jack blinked. "I saw the shark too, but I didn't say anything because I wanted _you_ to stay calm, so _I_ just swam faster"

Jack and Annie both stared at each other, then they both chuckled. "So, we both swam double-fast, huh?"

"Looks like it" Jack sighed.

"So, what now?"

"We go home"

"But we haven't solved Morgan's riddle yet" Annie argued.

"I know" Jack sighed, reaching into his sodden backpack. He pulled out his notebook and what Natalie assumed was the research book that Morgan had given them. They were both soaked.

"We failed. My research is all wet. We'll never be Master Librarians now" He said.

"Yeah, we've let Morgan down" Annie hung her head.

"Come on. Let's go" Jack said sadly. He started picking his way across the pink coral back towards the tree house with Annie following.

 _Poor guys!_ Natalie wished that she could help them, but she knew that wasn't possible. Still, she knew how they felt. She hadn't solved her own riddle either.

"Ouch!" Natalie looked up as Annie yelped and rubbed her foot.

"What is it?" Jack turned around.

"I stepped on something" Annie stooped and picked something off of the coral.

"A shell?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah" Annie examined the shell. "Wow, this thing is rough. Rough and gray as a rock…"

Jack's eyes suddenly widened. "and as plain as can be!" He whispered. "I think we just found the answer!"

"What? How could this ugly shell be the answer to our riddle?" Annie said. "I get that it's rough as a rock and plain as can be, but what about the great beauty that's hidden inside me?"

As Annie spoke, she held out the shell, and Natalie was able to see it clearly. Her eyes widened as something in her memory clicked. _Wait, maybe Jack's right! If that's what I think it is!_

Jack, meanwhile, was digging in his backpack and pulled out his research book

After opening it and flicking through the damp pages, he read aloud:

 **"Divers commonly search for Oysters in deep water, but sometimes oysters wash up on beaches and reefs. Oysters are sought because they sometimes contain peals inside of them. The natural beauty of a pearl makes it a treasure."**

 _It **is** an oyster! I was right!_ Natalie thought happily.

"There's a _pearl_ inside this thing?" Annie peered closely at the shell in her hand. "I don't see anything. How could a pearl get inside there anyway?"

Jack continued reading from the page:

 **"Sometimes a grain of sand gets between the oyster's shell and its skin. This irritates the oyster, so it makes substance called mother-of-pearl that surround the grain of sand. Over a few years, this substance hardens to form a pearl"**

 _Wow, that I didn't know!_ Natalie tilted her head. _That's pretty cool that the oyster can turn something harmful into something beautiful…wait a minute!_ Natalie thought back to Merlin's riddle and her eyes widened again.

 _'I begin as a source of pain, but end as a source of great beauty and gain!_ ' Merlin's voice echoed in her head

 _That's gotta be it!_ Natalie suddenly felt so excited her whole body was quivering. _A pearl begins as something painful, a grain of sand, but ends as something that is both beautiful and valuable! That's gotta be the answer! I did it I did it!_

Unable to hold back, Natlaie dove underwater, then rushed back up the the surface.

 _"I DID IT! WOOHOOOOO! YES! YES! YES!"_ Natalie cheered as she breached, spinning happily around in the air before diving back into the water. She dove and leapt out several more times, performing different tricks almost on instinct. During one leap, she saw Jack and Annie watching her, laughing, and she laughed herself.

When she finally got tired of jumping, she swam back to the reef. She poked her head out of the water just in time to see Jack and Annie climb into the tree house.

 _Looks like we're leaving_ , Natalie thought as she felt a cold wind begin to blow across the part of her that was out of the water. She saw the tree house lift off of the reef and begin to spin.

Natalie closed her eyes as she felt a familiar tingling flow across her body. She felt herself being lifted out of the water.

The wind blew harder. Bright lights glared under her closed eyelids. The tingling was so strong her whole body seemed numb.

Then suddenly everything was calm, completely calm.

* * *

Natalie, her eyes still closed, felt herself land on something hard and cold. She opened her eyes and looked up. She was back in human form, and lying on the floor of Merlin's secret study.

"Welcome back" Natalie looked up to see Merlin smiling at her from his chair.

"Hi" Natalie said as she got to her feet.

"So, tell me Natalie" Merlin leaned forward in his chair. "Do you know the answer to your riddle?"

"I do" Natalie smiled. "It's a pearl. When a grain of sand gets inside an oyster's shell, it irritates, or _pains_ the oyster. So the oyster makes a protective coating that covers the grain and turns it into a pearl, something that is very beautiful and valuable"

Merlin smiled. "That is correct"

"YES!" Natalie pumped her fist. One riddle down, three to go!

"Now tell me Natalie, are you still feeling depressed about your parents?" Merlin asked.

Natalie stared, then she laughed. "How did you know?" She asked

Merlin's eyes twinkled. "I recently visited the university where your mother and father both taught. I saw some kind of memorial being constructed. And I saw glimpses of the accident in your mind earlier. It wasn't very hard to put the pieces together"

Natalie nodded. "You're right. There's some kind of memorial ceremony for my parents being held in a few days and my aunt and I were both invited. I know she'd like it if I came too, but…" Natalie hesitated, trying to find the best way to phrase her feelings. "I haven't been back there since the accident. Being in the same place they both worked at, surrounded by people who knew them, people who will no doubt be paying a lot of attention to me, it feels a little overwhelming."

Merlin smiled and nodded, like he understood. "It cannot be easy, returning to a place that holds so many memories of family you have lost." He said. "I cannot speak for your mother and father, but I think that you should go to this ceremony, if nothing else, to give these other people the satisfaction of seeing that their gift is well received."

Natalie looked up at Merlin. "You think so?"

Merlin nodded. "I think your mother and father would want you to go" He said, and there was a strange gleam in his eyes.

Natalie held Merlin's gaze for a moment, then nodded. "I think so too" As soon as Natalie had said that, she suddenly felt…lighter, like a weight had been lifted off of her soul. She still felt pain and loss, but now it seemed...muted, and bearable.

Merlin's smile widened and Natalie knew that he knew Natalie felt better too. "I'd better get going" Natalie glanced at her watch. "Now that I _am_ going to the ceremony, I need to get ready"

"Have a good time" Merlin said.

Natalie nodded and turned towards the entrance alcove, then paused, turned back, and rushed over to give Merlin a hug.

"Thank you, Merlin" She said.

"You are very welcome" Natalie felt Merlin's arms encircle her, and for a second she felt like her father was hugging her.

After a few minutes, Natalie reluctantly broke away, waved goodbye to Merlin, and turned back towards the entrance alcove.

Pulling up the hood of her sweatshirt, Natalie pushed through the secret passage in the tree trunk out into the woods. She glanced around the clearing, but saw no sign of Jack and Annie.

Natalie dashed across the clearing and through the woods, darting through beams of golden dawn light and leafy shadows that danced on the forest floor.

As Natalie stepped out of the woods and onto her street, her face was lit up by the rising sun and she paused for a moment to enjoy the warmth, then she turned and headed down the street and up to her house.

 _I wonder what Suki and Sam are up to…_ Natalie thought as she unlocked the front door and slipped inside her house. _Probably having breakfast…_ Natalie grinned at the memory of chasing fish with the dolphin pod.

"Natalie? Is that you?" Her aunt's voice called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's me!" Natalie called back as she closed the door.

There was the sound of footsteps and Aunt Mary appeared in the doorway, wearing a dark-colored dress and looking flustered.

" _Finally!_ Where have you been, young lady?" She demanded.

"Just walking… and thinking about my parents" Natalie replied.

Her aunt blinked, and the anger on her face seemed to melt away. "Oh, I see" She said, looking at the floor. "You know…you don't _have_ to go, if you don't want to" She offered after a moment's silence

Natalie shook her head. "No, I _should_ go. I…I feel like Mom and Dad would want me to"

Her aunt looked surprised, then she slowly smiled. "I think you might be right" She said, then turned to look into the kitchen behind her. "If that's the case however, you'd better get ready. We need to leave in 15 minutes"

"Right" Natalie bolted past her aunt and dashed up the stairs to her bedroom.

"We're back!" Natalie paused at the top of the stairs when she heard Annie call out from the front door.

"Did you get your shoes wet?" Aunt Mary called from the kitchen

"Not a bit!" Natalie giggled at Jack's reply as she slipped into her bedroom.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **THANK YOU SNOW DAY! I've been on the verge of publishing this story for a few days now, but time and motivation were severely in short supply, until recent inspiration (from my ocean class no less), and a huge slot of time caused by classes being canceled today, motivated me to finish this chapter. Hope you like it!**

 **The other stories of this arc are either half-finished or still being planned out, so it may take me some time before the next story comes out. But they WILL come out, so bear with me!**

 **Until next time!**


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